the Silverthorne Sentinel

My how they grow!

2011-12-22T22:43:00.004-06:00

I had my son, Pete, a week past his due date and my dear friend, Jessi Hardy Scherm, was induce and had her son, Lars, on her due date. Awesome that our sons were born just hours apart.
Lars Sherm: Born April 4th, 2008
Pete Silverthorne: Born April 5th, 2008
I am so excited every time we get to see them.
It is fun to have snapshots in time compared. By the way, these boys are both the tallest in their class.

The big, the proud, the Kindergartner

2011-09-05T00:39:00.004-05:00

Our sweet Aubrey is now in Kindergarten. I am so grateful for her positive attitude about learning and excited for all of the new things she will experience this year in ACA's K class. She has some awesome teachers. I thank God that Aubrey is at an awesome school!

This is a picture of Aubrey when she started 2's class (1 day a week) compared to her first day of Kindergarten.

To a dad who...

2011-06-19T16:15:00.003-05:00

...without a doubt loves his kids entirely. You have always desired to be front and center in their lives and it shows. To a dad who takes time to listen, care for, discipline, pray with, explain things to, teach and share. Aubrey and Pete love you very much and I thank God for you, for the man, husband and FATHER you are. Happy Father's Day Bryan!!

I thank God for my boys

2011-04-12T00:40:00.001-05:00

My boys
Originally uploaded by Silverthornes.

Do you ever feel like you are seeing a person with a mini-version of himself? Pete and Bryan look so much alike to me sometimes. They have those big, dark eyes with long eye lashes, a sweet smile and they are both random, clever, hilarious and very charming. I am overjoyed to be hanging out with this great duo for a long while.

A phone-book

2011-04-06T23:44:00.001-05:00

A man brought a package to our door. A phone book. This is the fun conversation I had with Aubrey.

Aubs: What is that?
Me: A phone book
Aubs: Like the one Grandad has?
Me: Yes sweety, I am sure he has one.
Aubs: Neat does it have games on it?
(a pause)
Me: OHHH, you are thinking of his iPad which looks like a large Phone and a Book sometimes. No, this book is not as cool as Grandads. It is just a plain book with people's names along with their phone numbers in it so we can look up people's phone numbers if we know their names.
Aubs: That means we can look up that girl in my dance class and ask her to come over and play with me.
Me: Well, we can certainly look her up. What is her name?
Aubs: I don't know, she never told me.

Taking a picture with 9 little ones

2011-03-29T23:13:00.002-05:00

It is getting better but this is how crazy it was for Grammy to get a picture with 9 of her grand-kids.

It's the Great Pumpkin

2010-11-10T17:24:00.002-06:00

We got to hang out at the Alpine Pumpkin patch one day in October and loved it. We had lots of fun taking pictures.

I love the Fall!!

Happy Birthday Angie!

2010-09-14T23:59:00.018-05:00

Happy Birthday to the most loving, most lovely, devoted woman I know.
You are beautiful inside and out.

Thank you for being actively involved in our lives. You are an awesome Aunt and an amazing sister (in-law) and FRIEND. Pete and Aubs LOVE their Aunt Gi' and ask to go back to Austin on a regular basis ;)

You encourage and inspire me.
Love ya!!

EAT MOR CHIKIN!!

2010-07-09T14:42:00.009-05:00

I decided to start blogging again. And what better way to kick it off with some pictures of Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-a. I truly am excited to post some other fun things we have done already this summer.
It has been very busy! I have been working part-time at Alpine Christian Academy and the kids have really enjoyed it there this summer. I am excited for things to slow down a little bit and for me to get to hang out with Pete & Aubs more, but for now, we will hang on and enjoy the ride. I have been off this week which is so fun to get to spend time with family.
The kids and I headed over during lunch to get some free food and of course we got some for daddy so he didn't starve :)
Pretty cute Cows don't you think?

Embrace Life

2010-05-06T23:23:00.001-05:00

Bryan sent me this video. I thought I would share.

Happy St. Patty's Day

2010-03-17T20:18:00.001-05:00

Oh, he is my dear, my darlin' one / His eyes so sparklin', full of fun / No other, no other / Can match the likes of him.

This makes me happy!

Hope you have a great day!
I don't feel lucky, just blessed!

Anything for Jesus, Only let me do

2010-03-07T00:04:00.004-06:00

I came across a song today that I sang when I was very young child. The words were so simple but still rang true to me today and encouraged me.

God, I pray that my hands are constantly used to serve You. I pray that I am using my ears and eyes to be aware of others so I can show them Your love and compassion.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T16:31:00.002-06:00

(edited by my fun husband, Bryan Silverthorne)

My niece, Alyse

2010-02-07T22:50:00.008-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I can't believe it has been 4 years since I first met my sweet little niece, Alyse.
12 days later, I had Aubrey and it has been so fun to see my girl and Drew's girl interact and have so much fun. This is a comparison of the girls at Lysie's 1st birthday and at Lysie's 4th birthday. Gotta love cousins. These girls have fun personalities:

While on the subject of Lysie and Aubrey, I have to post a picture that cracks me up every time!! They like to party:

I just love watching Lysie mature and grow. She is a great big sister and has the big job of being a big sister to her 3 younger siblings.
Lysie, Your Aunt Dre love ya!!
I leave you with a few of my favorite pictures of Alyse through the years :)

Thanks MOM

2010-01-31T23:01:00.004-06:00

I want to celebrate my mom. If you have ever met her, you would walk away saying, "That lady is really bubbly and full of life." I love this about her. She is probably the most optimistic person I know. She is very caring, VERY easy to talk to, sympathetic and is very strong in her faith in God. I am encouraged by her in many ways.
I know it hasn't been easy on her, raising us after my father passed away. She had 4 teenagers at one point and a lot of responsibilities on her. I admire that she has turned to God in her decisions when it came to us by putting us in great school situations and in a great home. She has always encouraged us kids in what we showed interest in throughout the years and directed us in the way we should go; I believe that has helped each us to flourish. She is also an awesome Grammy to her 9 grandkids :)
I could really go on and on.

I just wanted to say, I love ya mom! Thanks for showing me how to be a good mom. Happy Birthday!
I leave you with a video of mom being funny and making Aubrey laugh when Aubrey was little. LOVE IT!

Na-nee-na-nee-na-na

2010-01-20T07:46:00.002-06:00

I gave Aubrey and Pete some fruit salad and I hear Aubrey say to Pete in a bragging tune:

Aubrey: ha - ha - ha - ha -ha - I've got more oranges than you dooo

Me: you don't have to one-up Pete you know

Aubrey: what does one-up mean?

Me: When you point out the fact that you have more than someone just to brag or just to try to make the other person feel bad because they don't have as much as you do. Don't you think that might hurt someones feelings when you rub in the fact that you have more than they do?

(Aubrey paused and contemplated a moment)

Aubrey: ha - ha - ha - ha -ha - we both have oranges

Happy 1st Birthday CHARLIE!

2010-01-18T22:13:00.005-06:00

I can still remember like it was yesterday, being at the hospital in Bossier and seeing my sweet nephew for the first time and holding him. Charlie has been a total joy to everyone he is around. When I picture his little face in my head, it always has a smile because that is how he ALWAYS is when I see him. What a precious child.
I am so privileged to be a part of this little man's life.
I LOVE YOU CHARLIE!!

Less of me is more.

2010-01-18T00:19:00.007-06:00

I want to share something God has placed on my heart. I should relax and focus more on my kids - my husband - home and less on everything else, including myself. I am mainly talking about the time and energy I give to these things. It has been easy for me to stray away from kids/husband/home (with my time) and follow selfish desires like me wanting to talk to my friends, me wanting to browse my emails, check out my google reader, do my workout, my, my, my. Seriously, when I go to bed and the end of the day, what my stuff is going to be fulfilling? I'm not saying that my stuff is bad. I need my time but when am I taking my time?
Angie sent me this link after I shared with her my heart about this matter and it was put so perfectly.
I seriously doubt God is pleased by some of the choices I have made in a day. We are constantly faced with decisions (especially as parents) to choose our priorities. Thinking of what benefits our kids should absolutely be towards the top of our list under serving God (which coincidentally ties into focusing on our family)
This is easier said than done. I struggle with "self" on a day by day basis.
My prayer is to no longer see "self" but to simply be the person God intends for me to be. Someone who possesses His characteristics. I desire to be a wife who is gracious and steadfast, a devoted mother who is stern, considerate, compassionate and loving - a homemaker who is hospitable and who takes ownership and pride in her home.

As I typed the last few lines, an old hymn popped into my head. I think it is appropriate and I pray it is always my desire:

Have Thine Own Way
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!

I leave you with a couple of videos of our kids. Aubrey says the Pledge of Allegiance in the bathtub and Pete laughs at a silly ball. THIS is what fills my heart with joy at just the remembrance of it.

November B-day Parties

2010-01-03T21:30:00.020-06:00

I have not blogged in a while because I decided to focus on my family more and my house. I am still looking for that balance and I hope that I will someday. For now, my kids are in bed, husband it doing a little work, so here I am to update you. Here is a look into the party life of the Silverthorne's in November.

Well, My birthday started the month off. Yes, Drew & I turned the big 30!! Here is a picture of us at the Johnny Carino's in Tyler. I LOVE THAT PLACE. I love having Drew as a twin. HAPPY 30 BRO!!
We had lots of friends and family there. I was overwhelmed with the love in that room. Thanks again Amy for orchestrating that. On my birthday, my little family took me out to Cheddar's after church. We had an awesome time! It was a good day.

We also got to go to some pretty fun birthday parties!!

Eden's party was happening with her Little Mermaid theme and the pin-the-fin on the Mermaid. We had a great time and LOVE the Roberts new house! I can't believe she is already 5. I am so proud that we got her the movie "Little Mermaid" last year for her birthday and I guess she liked it ;) She got an Ariel doll this year and wouldn't put it down at the party. Precious! It is so awesome that Ben and Amy are good friends with all of my siblings. It's fun that the cousins were all invited to the party as well.

Pump-it-up with Grayson was pretty fun too. Aubrey has been friends with Grayson from the beginning. We always have fun with them.

At Andrew Tutt's party Aubrey even got to ride a horse for the first time. She LOVED it!! She really was a natural. She started out on the pony but wanted to ride the horse ALL BY HERSELF! Pete didn't care so much - maybe next time.

Please, just stop!!

2009-12-22T00:32:00.005-06:00

I felt the urge to post this because it was so heavy on my heart today.

I was standing behind a lady in a business office today and observed the way she treated her (I am guessing) 20 mo. old son. I'm not one to judge other's parenting styles but this made me sick. She was talking to the clerk & kept forcing the child (who was being VERY well behaved after observing him for at least 10 minutes) to stand perfectly still and hold onto his two week old brother's carrier. I noticed that he lost his balance a little and swayed, she spanked him a few times and yelled at him. Still obeying his mom and holding onto the carrier, he shifted his feet a little, she then proceeded to thump him hard on the head a couple of times then he started crying, she then yelled at him and told him, "I'm gonna beat you if you keep crying." Seriously though, I am all about discipline, even spanking if necessary for discipline, but this type of behavior from a parent is unacceptable.

I went through several things I could have told the lady but decided to just remain quiet as to not make a scene. The boy looked at me with tears in his eyes & I have to say I was choked up for him. As she left she was literally pushing him out the door with the carrier of her 2 week old. I really just wanted to take this poor boy home.

Kids most certainly need discipline but it is hard to watch when the God-given responsibly of a parent to discipline a child is so blatantly being abused. It was a good reminder for me today to take every situation with my kids with patience and love. To access where my kid is coming from when making a poor decision and accessing if he or she is being willfully defiant or just making an honest mistake. These things are good to think about before we as parents go whaling about, abusing our authority.

Our Nephew, Howard Ray Allen is here!!

2009-11-19T00:52:00.006-06:00

Howard Ray Allen was born (a week earlier than his due date) this past Monday, November the 16th at 3:49pm weighing 9 lbs 8 oz. We like to call him Ray.
He was named after our dad.

He is such a beautiful little baby. Big sisters are so happy he is finally here. Drew and Charlotte were beaming with pride and of course Charlotte did awesome (as usual) and says she feels great.

One of the best things was seeing Drew holding his son as he beamed with pride.
I know their bond will be very special.

Congratulations Drew and Charlotte.
I am so happy for you and your sweet family.

I love lunch!

2009-11-08T22:02:00.005-06:00

I am a big fan of the Improve Musicals. I think because I have this desire to be a part of one someday.
Maybe I will set one up in Longview. Watch out - You may be somewhere with my family and we may just bust out in a musical. Seriously though, we do bust out in musicals at home all the time :)

Coming Soon: Baby Ray Allen

2009-11-07T00:04:00.008-06:00

This past month has flown by with all of the activities we have had going on and with going to school three days a week.
I can hardly believe that our little nephew will be here soon! It seems like just yesterday that Drew and Charlotte delivered the news that Charlotte would deliver a baby BOY! This will be the first (and probably only) Allen boy in their family. I was elated when I heard that news because I knew how badly they wanted a little boy. I know his big sister's, Alyse, Alex & Allie, can't wait to meet him either. I am so curious as to who he will look like. I can't wait to hold him! I am getting plain giddy as I am typing now. Charlotte told me she would be induced (if Ray does not come on his own) on Nov. 23rd. WOW, that is soon!!
Here is a sonogram picture taken of him in August:

Ray will be the 7th cousin of Aubrey and Pete's on my side of the family, making a total of 9 grandkids for my mom :) This is a collage I made of all the cousins on this side of the family. If Charlotte or Amy has anymore babies, I will just have to get a bigger collage. I thank God for all of the healthy children in our family. I pray this delivery will be a smooth one like the rest of them.
You know Aunt Dre will be there awaiting his arrival.

SO HAPPY FOR YOU DREW & CHARLOTTE!!

Fall Festivities

2009-11-04T21:46:00.008-06:00

We didn't actually do anything on Halloween night except pass out candy at our house because Pete was a little under the weather AND because Aubrey was so tuckered out. She had no naps for several days in a row, and a late night the night before so she fell asleep around 5:30pm that evening and was asleep for the night. She did not get up until 6:30am the next morning. CRAZY! Her body obviously needed it.
I am so glad that we had went to Fall Fest the week before. ACA (Alpine Christian Academy) parents & staff did a great job at putting Fall Fest together. It was a fund raiser to benefit our school that raised close to $3,000.

It was SO much fun and the kids looked adorable :)

Aubrey was Annie from the musical (obviously)

It was fun that Aubrey followed in her Aunt Gi's footsteps as dressing up like Annie AND got to wear the same dress her Aunt Gi' wore:
Aubrey's has been interested in Annie since she watched the movie AND went to Austin and saw (these are Aubrey's words) "The real Annie on stage."

So Debbie came over to help get the kids ready and Aubrey tells her that she wants Debbie (Nana) to be Miss Hannigan. SO guess what? Of course, Nana goes home to dress up like Miss Hannigan! I was VERY impressed with the costume she whipped up in 10 min. But not surprised because my mother-in-law is a pretty remarkable lady :) It was fun for Aubrey AND Nana. Thanks Nana for being so loving and so willing to be there for your granddaughter.

And of course, we can't forget about Pete who was just as cute and adorable. Pete was a cowboy (wearing an outfit Bryan wore when he was a young lad. (Precious to me)
(thanks Mindi Collier for taking this picture)
Pete has grown so much since last year!
Oct. 2008

It was fun to see him interact more and really enjoy himself this time around. Bryan is pretty cute too ;)

Feelin' Better Now, Thank You

2009-11-04T21:24:00.005-06:00

Bryan and I went to Tyler on Friday night and left the kids with Darrell in Longview.
After we arrived in Tyler, Darrell noticed that Pete was looking a little sluggish, and was VERY short of breath (up to 55 breaths per minute). Pete's temperature also got up to 103. After talking with us, Darrell took Pete to the ER and Pete was given a breathing treatment just before we got there. By then, Pete had slowed down his rapid breathing quite a bit.

A similar episode happened a couple of months ago to Pete but thankfully we had a breathing machine in our possession.

Our Dr. thinks that Pete is having asthmatic attacks triggered by something. But what? The only correlation I know of is that he has been congested both times. The great news is that the breathing machine (a nebulizer containing albuterol) seems to help him get back to a normal breathing pattern and temperature.

We will go back to school tomorrow if all goes well. Pete is doing well as far as breathing is concerned and has not had a high temp. since leaving the ER. THANK GOODNESS!

God is Good!! I thank God that Pete is well and is a tough little guy. He has been so awesome through this. I have enjoyed spending lots of time with him lately (playing, cuddling, ect.)
We will probably get back in the regular swing of things tomorrow by going to school and resuming activities.

MONDAY'S MENU for the week

2009-10-25T23:35:00.003-05:00

What's for dinner? Food for the week:

Monday: Soft tacos, fixings & Rice (Chips)

Tuesday: White Cheddar Shells, bell pepper & Sausage (Salad)

Wednesday: Taco Stew & Quasadillas (Chips) + CHOIR PRACTICE & CHURCH

Thursday: Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole + PUMPKIN CARVING

Friday: Johnny Carinos!! :)

Saturday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches & Fruit + TRUNK OR TREAT

My awesome sister-in-law, Angie, gave me this recipe:

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

1 can (10 oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup

1 1/3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional)

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups (1 bag) frozen mixed vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, pepper and vegetables in 11x8" (2-quart) shallow baking dish.

2. Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover.

3. Bake at 375 for 50 min. or until chicken and rice are done. Top with cheese. Let casserole stand. Stir rice before serving.

ALSO, we had so much fun this weekend at the Fall Fest at church. I will post pictures of my little orphan Annie and Cowboy soon.

You lookin' at me?

2009-10-23T00:04:00.003-05:00

I just thought I would share this random picture I yoinked from our friend, Jean Paul. This is him and a Female Golden Eagle who he had the privilege of being close to and working with. This picture made me step back a bit. Awesome, yet creepy.

Cars are getting stuck!

2009-09-18T23:46:00.004-05:00

This is a note to you who attend Alpine Church of Christ or take your kids to Alpine Christian Academy. I have passed by two similar scenarios at Alpine. I would not want this to happen to you!!

A parent goes to pick up their child/children at the nursery area (at the Alpine Church building), there is a car parked in front of them so naturally, they back up to exit. The only problem is -> there is a drop off to the right side of the nursery entrance. I'm not really sure I know what a great resolution would be for this. What do you think?

Of course I am on the scene to document the whole thing.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T08:37:00.003-05:00

Refer to similar blog post.

Unexpected splash time

2009-09-08T12:40:00.007-05:00

We were playing at the park this morning and an employee of the City of Longview came over and opened a fire hydrant to drain water for about 15 minutes. (The gentleman told us someone had complained about their water tasting a little funny) We seized the opportunity! Here are some pictures from our fun and random adventure. I treasured this 15 minutes.
It was fun explaining to Aubrey about fire hydrants and their availability to fire fighters and the Longview water supply where we get our water.

Pete wanted to use it as a water fountain.

NOTE: I am really happy with the quality of iPhone pictures.

Child like innocence

2009-09-07T01:32:00.002-05:00

Angie put this picture in a 8x10 frame and gave it to me. I hung it in Aubrey's room so I can see it anytime I enter. I love it! I am reminded of how fun it is to be childlike.

There's just something about a child running free, without stress, worry or anything of that nature. Something about the peacefulness you see on a child's face. The pure joy you see in their eyes. Something I vaguely remember having at one point in my life but seems so long ago. I want to get back to that place.

What things can eat away at a childlike nature while growing up?
Becoming sophisticated, worldly, cynical, suspicious, sarcastic, prejudiced, self-centered, uninvolved, and many other negative things. Also losing a zest for life. SIN DOES ALL OF THAT!

Many times, God reveals through His Word where he wants our attitudes to be. He desires for us to come to Him with a childlike attitude.
I just love what WikiAnswers defined child like innocence to mean: the attitude of heart where one is untainted by pride, self importance and open to the good with a pure heart. Children are naturally pure, innocent and trusting, and these are characteristics of childlike innocence. Jesus Christ stated that, "... unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:3). So to be childlike is simply to be open and trusting, with no ill will or evil intentions.

I constantly teach (or at least attempt to teach) my kids lessons but I should stop and learn a thing or two from their example of unquestionable love and innocence.

(Note: The picture above is of my daughter, Aubrey, and was taken with this set.)

2 little Silverthornes jumping on the bed

2009-08-31T00:52:00.000-05:00

Happy 33 Sweetheart

2009-08-29T08:25:00.005-05:00

For Bryan's Birthday, we got up at the crack of dawn and went to McDonalds! (his favorite place to go for breakfast) I think he really enjoyed it - we may make it a birthday tradition! That morning we gave him a goody basket filled with coffee beans, random toys that Aubrey picked out for him, gum, oreos (ya know, just a few of his favorite things) We also made him a chocolate cake later on that day and enjoyed it along with chicken spaghetti (Debbie made) for dinner. It was a good day.

I created this post simply to recognize that the love of my life turned 33 this past weekend. Okay, "love of my life" was a little cheezy, but true. And, it is a bonus that he is the most awesome dad to our children!

Sometimes in the hustle/stress of life, tending to kids and taking care of basic things, it is easy to overlook that he is also my best friend.

NOTE TO BRYAN:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEST FRIEND!
I plan to grow old with you so I guess we are on track.

Your devoted wife,
Andrea

"We could have a whale of a time"

2009-08-23T22:02:00.018-05:00

Last weekend we went with Darrell & Debbie (AKA Grandad & Nana) to Dallas and stayed a couple of nights in a hotel, went to fun restaurants, swimming at the hotel, fun at the Dallas World Aquarium AND it was so awesome because Angie & Aaron (AKA Aunt G' & Uncle Buss) met us up there.
The DWA (Dallas World Aquarium) was awesome. It seemed to never end! We saw all kinds of interesting, exotic animals. We all had a great time. Pete kept saying "wow" and Aubrey loved seeing all the interesting creatures.
PICTURES FROM DWA

Before we went, we created a little Aquarium Scavenger Hunt to add to our visit. Aubrey really was into it and was so excited to check off things she discovered. I was pretty impressed that all of the sea creatures we came up with were there!

AUNT G'
Aubrey just loves her Aunt G' - She was so excited to see her! AND Uncle Buss.
They really are awesome with kids and I appreciate them so much for taking such and interest in our kids lives. LOVE YOU GUYS!
Gotta love those beautiful blue eyes.

We also had the privilege to hang out with Angie and Aaron while D&D kept the kids one evening. We went to see the movie District 9 and had an enjoyable time (NOTE: Bryan & I really liked the movie).
I cracked up at this picture posted on Angie's flickr account just days after we saw the movie. (YOINK!)
She noted that Aaron made her some Alien Prawn glasses. (If you have seen the movie, you might see the humor in this as I did :)

NOTE: The title of this post is a catchy song I got in my head from a movie I watched a long time ago called Hello Down There. Richard Dreyfuss sang "Hey little goldfish"

THANKS DARRELL & DEBBIE FOR TREATING US TO A WONDERFUL TIME!!!

Reid's 1st birthday!!

2009-08-13T16:41:00.003-05:00

I just love my sweet niece. It seems like just yesterday that we were anticipating her arrival. Then she arrived! A beautiful, big, bouncing, baby girl! Her smile just lights up a room. I look forward to doing lots of fun stuff with little Reid.
We went to Lufkin this past weekend to a pool/patio/pizza party to celebrate her birthday and had a great time. She got lots of gifts and we all had plenty of sun.

LOVE YOU!! HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!

Our Professional Photo Shoot

2009-08-09T23:11:00.008-05:00

A friend of mine, Christina Massey, specializes in fun photography for families, children, pets & events.
She was trying to build up here group of portfolio pictures and thought my kiddos would be good models (I agreed - as any proud mom would ;) Since this shoot (which was about a month ago) she has had plenty of business to so she has plenty of pictures to had to her repertoire. Check it out!

I was happy with how our pictures turned out. We actually invited Harper & Jennifer to come along with us which was loads of fun.

I the pictures from this session on my flickr account but I will post a few of my favorites Here:
I saved this sweet picture of Harper for last. I love it!

If you are interested in getting some photos done, I would recommend Christina Massey Photography. She did a great job! Here is her info:

Christina Massey Photography
christinamasseyphotography.blogspot.com
903-806-5732
christina.massey@rocketmail.com

Happy 16 months Pete!!

2009-08-05T12:08:00.015-05:00

My how you've grown!

AND YOUR BIG SISTER WILL STILL PUSH YOU AROUND :)

I am smitten by Pete (as most mothers are with their sons)

To me, he is the most huggable/lovable little man.
I thank God for him. Pete is growing like a weed. He now weighs 26 lbs. I am not sure his height right now but I will let you know on his 18 month check-up.

I gave a little blurb about his little personality and the things I love about him when I posted his 1 yr blog post. However, I will fill you in on some things in case you haven't seen him lately.

1) new development for him is that he LOVES the quack, quack song by the Wiggles. Even though we do not watch them, we introduced him to their song on YouTube and he was an instant fan of this song (like Aubrey)

2) He is infatuated with cords! I would say he takes after his dad on this one. He loves pulling cords out of walls, finding a wad of cords (good thing Dad has a large collection) & loves to drag cords around. This just kind of happened but he pulled the baby monitor cords out of a drawer one day and got them all tangled up but I decided to keep those knotted up cords in the drawer for him to play with every day.

3) I work with his class at ACA for one day a week this summer and I love to work and have Pete with me (although there are some drawbacks because he can get a little clingy at times when I am trying to assist another child).
It has been fun to watch his interaction with other children. I would have to say the #1 reason he and another kid clash is if they are wanting their personal space because Pete just wants to go up and hug everyone; I guess I would rather have a hugger than a biter :)

4) He still gets a kick out of playing with Aubrey (he calls her Oggin) & LOVES to hug her!
She is an awesome big sister and is always looking out for her little bro. I am very proud of them both. This is a picture I took last week when it was wet outside. They loved playing in the water puddles and getting dirty. I didn't mind that - they seemed to be having so much fun together and I think they were just happy to get out of the house for a little while. It had rained a lot last week and we didn't get out much.

5) Pete recently has grown fond of his little yellow blanket. He usually will grab it and follow me around the house when he gets sleepy. He also loves to just get it and lay with it on the floor.
Words/Sounds Pete can now say: Momma, Dadda, Aubrey (Oggin), Nanna, Grandad (Gaandaa), Buck, apple, quack-quack, moooo, shhhhh, Jump (Juuu), Bubble, Banana (Nanna), Back-Pack
There may be others but I am drawing a blank.

I will leave you with a few pictures of Pete and a few of his friends at school:

(left to right - Trenton, Pete, Cole, Sam)

Show some PDA!!

2009-08-03T01:00:00.002-05:00

Public Display of Affection that is:

I read the book "Baby Wise" before I had Aubrey and don't totally agree with it but I believe it is good to read just because it is thought provoking and I think parents should talk about how they will establish routines for their children so they are on the same page.
The one thing that stood out to me in that book was actually in it's preface. It was talking about the importance of a mom and dad showing their kids that they love each other. This has always stuck with me. I know it is easy to get sucked into focusing on your children and their needs but it is good to remember that one of the most important things for your child is giving he or she the security of knowing that mom and dad are on the same team and love each other. So with that said...

I LOVE YOU BRYAN!!

Steeped in Old-timey Material

2009-07-14T23:47:00.008-05:00

Memaw asked if me and my siblings would sing for her birthday. We did "Hide Thou Me." A classic with our group. And yes, we have been steeped in old-timey Southern Gospel music. We started singing together when I was 6 or 7. I am about to be 30.
Singing has come pretty natural to me and my siblings and I believe it is because we have been around music all of our lives. My mom and dad sang in a group together even before we were born and sang in church a lot. I loved listening to them! Mom plays the piano beautifully by ear. I am spoiled because I can just sing a song one time for her and she can play it almost instantly. My dad had the most beautiful voice! Truly amazing.

(Dad & Mom pictured far left)

They were always so supportive of us singing and so proud. They would even convince us to stand up and sing for family at reunions.

We did travel a lot and sing at various churches growing up.
(NOTE: not my proudest picture but I am practicing a little humility today:)
I can't begin to think of how many churches we have attending to do specials at. Either my mom was the best agent ever or the word just spreads amongst churches and friends when there are four young kids who can harmonize. I am thankful that God gave us each talents in this area and give Him all the glory for it. I absolutely love to sing with family and I think it has brought us closer together.
Thought I would share the song we sang for Memaw, enjoy:

Left to right: Amy (the youngest), Andrea (me), Aaron (the oldest), Drew (my twin brother). I love my family and I treasure this video. NOTE: in this video we were pretty distracted by all the kids and happenings going on behind the camera. Good times. Made my Memaw cry.

Happy Campers

2009-07-11T22:09:00.005-05:00

We are so happy for Randy & Shelia. Congratulations on 30 years of marriage!!

(Pictured w/their kids. Left to right: Stephanie, Randy Jr., Amanda)

We were so excited when we got the invitation for my Uncle Randy & Aunt Shelia's 30th Wedding Anniversary. They invited friends and family to celebrate with them at Hord's Creek Lake in Coleman, TX while camping over the weekend. It was so fun to hang out with my dad's side of the family. I have only seen them off and on briefly for the past 20 years. It was great to really spend some time with Randy (my Dad's brother) and all of his kids & grandson - AND Aunt Narva (my dad's sister), most of her family & grandkids. I was so excited that Uncle Joe (my Grandpa's brother) and Aunt Doniece showed up as well :) (Love you guys!)
My twin, Drew, and his clan made the drive also which was awesome.

Randy & Shelia reserved a covered pavilion/kitchen with plenty of campground around it and they treated us well with lots of yummy food!

Setting Camp
This was Aubrey & Pete's first camping experience and it went so well that I am sure we will be doing it again. Bryan is awesome at setting up camp and is really in his element outdoors. He leaves no stone unturned. He thought of everything and made it so comfortable for our little family to all sleep in one tent.
Pete and Aubrey LOVED exploring! (despite the fact that neither of them are smiling in these next two pics :) I just thought these were cute.How did our kids sleep? WELL! They were pooped out from all the driving that morning, the dirt digging, the brisket eating, lake swimming & people meeting; they were both out like a light the minute they entered the tent.

Swimming at the Lake

On the way to the lake, since we were on back roads, Drew and the girls road in the back of the truck. It was so fun to see them enjoying themselves (victory!) Unky Drew is fun!

NOTE: Aubrey found my toiletry bag just before we went and applied some lipstick to her face.

The lakefront was nice and clean! I was so grateful for that. There was an area sectioned off for swimming so it was fun to get in and cool water with family and just have some fun. This is a picture of Charlotte and youngest daughter, Allie, at the lake:

Of course we brought Buck which was an awesome decision. He was so awesome the whole trip. He really surprised us because he typically HATES water but just got in and started swimming. We loved it! When else can you feel good about being in a body of water with your dog? Thanks Drew for taking a family photo for us. (He actually took most of these pictures I am posting)
Then, I asked Bryan if he would squat so we could get a picture to add to his squatology set, so he did gladly.
The girls loved the ride in the back of the truck on the way back from the lake. Drew and I didn't get what was so funny but Aubrey and Lysie seemed to be telling jokes and laughing like crazy. It is so precious to see our girls enjoying time together.

Boating/Tubing on the Lake
Randy asked if we wanted to go out on his boat and we jumped on that! I didn't realize he had a Pontoon boat. SWEET! I had lots of fun just hanging out, tubing, enjoying the low percent humidity, and cute little kids in life jackets.

It is well with my soul

2009-06-21T00:26:00.001-05:00

I think of my dad often but especially on Father's Day. I think of the life he lived - the life he lived well. I only knew him for 9 years but the impact he made will last a lifetime. He was the best father a girl could ask for. I thank God for the time I did have with him and things I learn from his example, even now. I love him dearly and I am comforted to know that this world was not his final resting place.

In Loving Memory of Howard Ray Allen Jr. (A.K.A. dad)

Happy Birthday, It's Amy's Birthday!

2009-06-18T11:27:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday little sis!!

I love ya! I always have.

Found this picture (of Amy and I) and it reminded me of Aubrey and Evie. For those of you who don't know, our daughters are about the same age difference as Amy and I. LOVE IT!

Here is a sweet picture of our sweet girls. Can you see the similarities of them and their moms?

You know how parents will tell cute stories about their kids OVER and OVER again? Some of them stick and some don't. One story has stuck in our family about my little sister which I will share with you.

We were at Disney Land in California visiting extended family and it was around Amy's birthday. She fell asleep in her stroller and could hear Donald's 50th birthday parade celebration. When she heard the Happy Birthday song, she raised up and said "They are singing Happy Birthday to me."
This story is always endearing to me. I am sure other family members have slightly different versions to this story but this is the one I tell from the accumulation of my recollection of that day and the 100+ times I have heard it:)

I love you Amy, and today I sing happy birthday to YOU!

This one's for you!
It doesn't say but this 50th birthday bash was in 1984, around Amy's 3rd birthday.

Be our guest, be our guest...

2009-06-17T07:50:00.009-05:00

For a long time Aubrey had asked for one of her best friends, Harper, to stay the night. I was a little hesitant at first as to whether it was a good idea to have one. I didn't know how it would go with getting 2 excited 3 1/2 year olds to sleep. We invited sweet Harper over a few weeks ago, they had lots of fun and only stayed up til 11pm :) I was anticipating midnight so they exceeded my expectations :)

I took lots of pictures to share with Harper's parents (Aaron & Jennifer) and to reminisce about this event with Aubrey in the future. Here is our first friend sleepover in pictures:

Tuesday Meal Plan (is more like it)

2009-06-16T00:21:00.005-05:00

Tuesday
B: Cheerios, Milk & Strawberries
L: Homemade Lunchables & Fruit Cup (at ACA)
D: Egg Salad (Aubrey will be gone to Grammy's & she doesn't care for this)

Wednesday:
B: Oatmeal&Raisins, bananas
L: Sandwiches, Wheat thins, green beans (at ACA)
D: *Hawaiian Chicken Salad

Thursday:
B: Green Eggs & Biscuits
L: Hot Dogs, veggies
D: Taco Salad

Friday:
B: Cheerios, Milk
L: Homemade Lunchables, Wheat thins & Fruit Cup (at ACA)
D: Breakfast Burritos

Saturday:
B: Oatmeal&Raisins, bananas
Then head to Bossier City (my niece, Evie, has a birthday party)
D: Spaghetti, garlic bread & salad

Sunday:
B: Cereal
L: Out for Father's Day :)
D: Zesty Chicken & Veggies

*Hawaiin Chicken Salad*
1 (13 1/2 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, reserving 2 tbsp. syrup
3 c. diced cooked chicken
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. toasted slivered blanched almonds
3/4 c. vanilla yogurt
1/4 c. light mayo

Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons syrup. Mix pineapple with diced cooked chicken, diced celery and toasted slivered blanched almonds. Blend reserved pineapple syrup with yogurt and mayonnaise. Toss with chicken mixture. Chill.

"Sandy's his name, if you please!"

2009-06-09T22:07:00.018-05:00

Every child should have an Aunt G' and Uncle Buss! We love hanging out with them. Thanks for being awesome for us and our kids always. They showered Aubrey with random little gifts, drew fun things with her, we played with Uncle Buss's old school farm set and laughed a lot. Needless to say, we had a great time in Austin!
Debbie picked me and Aubrey up, then went to Lufkin to pick up Renee' (AKA Aunt Nee') & baby Reid, then headed to Austin to see Aunt G' and Uncle Buss for a fun-filled weekend. One of the main events planned was to see the musical Annie.

Let me explain:
At the age of 4, Angie (Aunt G') had experienced Annie (the film) when it first came out - so it has been a classic in the Silverthorne household. Angie was so sweet and thoughtful to get tickets to see Annie (the musical) in Austin so Aubrey (along with Aunt G', Aunt Nee', Nana & myself) could experience the sweet red-head in person (Aubrey has been telling people we got to see "a real Annie on stage'). We loved it!! It was at the UT campus (where Darrell, Angie & Renee' went to college).
NOTE: To all you die hard Annie fans who have seen Annie the movie and not the musical, it is a little different. There are some songs that are the same but some are different which is pretty fun to hear a mix of new songs and good old staples like "Tomorrow." Wikipedia does a good job of explaining the stage to screen differences.

In preparation for our girls trip (Note to Aaron: I am only calling it a girls trip because just girls road in the car :) to Austin, Nana (Debbie) bought the movie Annie on DVD and Aubrey watched it a couple of times so she was pretty familiar with the story line, characters and songs.
Aubrey sang the song Tomorrow many times this past weekend and even made up her own about Sandy. After seeing the musical, she asks me to sing It's the Hard-Knock Life and Little Girls.

Back to Angie: Debbie got Angie the Annie outfit when she was little and has kept it all these years (that is just like Debbie to do that - THANKS) so she let Aubrey wear it this weekend which Aubrey was MORE THAN EXCITED about!!

ANGIE AT AGE 4

AUBREY AT AGE 3 (In the same dress & wig - yes, the wig had seen it's better days)

Also, here are some videos Angie took with her camera which are precious to me. You can also view (on YouTube) other videos she took that night of Aubrey as Annie.
Enjoy:

Oh yes, Aubrey nominated one of Angie and Aaron's dogs Sandy (AKA Sadie) and the other one Shoo-Shoo Baloney (AKA Scoop)

Other pictures from our fun trip:

Monday Meal Plan (6/8 - 6/14)

2009-06-08T21:41:00.014-05:00

So I made this on Monday night! At least I got it out on Monday.
This is my second week to try this meal planning thing and I have to say that I am loving it!

I don't always stick with the menu but it is relieving to have the meals on hand and know I have all of the ingredients. My next goal is to stick to a budget for groceries each week :)

Monday:
B: Cereal, Juice
Lunch & Dinner provided by Amy since we were in Bossier City visiting (Thanks- we had a great time)

Tuesday:
B: Oatmeal, Eggs & Banana
L: Grilled Cheese, fruit
D: Taco Salad

Wednesday:
B: Cereal
L: Turkey meat, cheese & crackers (at ACA)
D: Chicken Salad, fruit

Thursday:
B: French Toast, fruit
L: Hot Dogs
D: Burritos, Salad

Friday:
B: Cereal
L: Sandwiches, fruit (at ACA)
D: Pizza

Saturday:
B: Green Eggs, Toast & Jelly (for fun I put green or blue food coloring in the eggs to make green eggs - Aubrey eats all of hers when I do that :)
L: Grilled Cheese, fruit
D: Zesty Italian Chicken, veggies

Sunday:
B: Cereal
L: Leftovers
D: Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Toast

NOTE: The Zesty Italian Chicken is something I am going to try out that my mom makes. She just puts some uncooked chicken breasts in a pan and covers with Zesty Italian Dressing (I am going to use Kraft Zesty Italian & Marinade) - puts it in the oven at 450 degrees for 25 min. or until done. I am using tenderloins (they are thinner) so I will probably only put the oven at 375 degrees.

Has it been five years?

2009-06-01T16:53:00.002-05:00

I know something is supposed to happen today.
I think I know what it is.
I just want to see how it plays out.
The end of an era.
The beginning of a new one.

Bring the cheese. I am ready.

2009-05-31T01:59:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Stacy, Audra, & Charlotte (my sister-in-law) for inspiring me to do a meal plan. I admire you very much.
I definitely see the need for one around my house. Especially this summer since we it is going to get really busy. I don't want to find myself making a lot of random trips to the store AND we need to stay on a budget.
Forgive me if I don't do this EVERY week but I am really going to try. It is "really empowering" (as Charlotte says) to have your meals already planned out and to KNOW you have everything you need for the week.
Here goes nothing.

NOTE: all meals are subject to change :)

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Monday
B: Scrambled Eggs, Toast & bananas
L: Hot Dogs, fruit
D: Quesadillas

Tuesday:
B: Oatmeal w/raisins & toast
L: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & fruit
D: DATE NIGHT! (Nana & Grandad can figure out what our kids are having)

Wednesday:
B:Cheerios & Bananas
L:Lunchable type food (crackers/turkey meat/cheese) & fruit
D:Chicken Salad & fruit

Thursday:
B:Oatmeal, toast & fruit
L:Sandwiches & fruit @ the splash park :)
D:Spaghetti (Aubrey's favorite!), salad & garlic toast

Friday:
B:Cheerios & fruit
L:Lunchable type food (crackers/turkey meat/cheese) & fruit
D:Boy's Burritos night

GIRL TRIP!! Earlier on Friday Aubrey and I are leaving for Austin to see the musical "Annie" (with Nana, Aunt G, Aunt Nee' & Reid) so I am sure Bryan & Pete can figure out what to eat on Saturday & Sunday. We will miss our boys.

(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear

2009-05-25T22:37:00.009-05:00

Aubrey has grown so much since last August since she began ACA (Alpine Christian Academy). She went for two days a week and at first was a little apprehensive about the whole school thing but really learned a lot, made new friends and grew from this experience. I think it is important for kids to experience new situations and adjust to them well. That is what we are constantly doing right?

Change is inevitable.

We are so proud of little Aubrey! Thanks Nana for buying her this sweet puddle skirt outfit!
Here is a video of her class proforming "Your Teddy Bear" at the ACA graduation. Left to right - Mallory, Aubrey, Sam, Grayson, Conner, Sierra - I get a little blurry after that. Cooper is the boy on the floor :)

I snatched the following picture from the Corbitt's blog - yoink!
The next one is of Mallory and Aubrey. LOVE the outfits AND these beautiful, sweet girls. Several people of told me that they look alike.

Although I don't have her in picture or video, sweet little Rylan was in Aubrey's class also and is a good friend of hers.

While you were out

2009-05-23T23:54:00.012-05:00

Last weekend I went to West Texas with Aaron (older brother), Amy (sister), Charlie (nephew), and my mom. It was so good to get to visit and cut up with them once again. We attended a retirement party honoring my old principal, Bro. Hartsfield, and his wife for their years of service at PBCS (the school I went to from K-5th grade).
We had a really great trip, reminisced, visited old friends. I am so glad we went!
I missed Bryan and the kids. Bryan is a wonderful dad - the kids are always insured a fun time when their dad is around. He is very patient, loving, imaginative, really the list goes on. You would know these things if you have ever seen Bryan with kids. It is one of the many things I love about him.

He is also a wonderful husband. He kept me informed of their happenings through pictures and it comforted me to know that my little family was having fun - it also made me happy to know that I was missed :)

Here are just a few of the creative pictures I received:

"Let's be DOG people!"

2009-05-20T00:57:00.000-05:00

4 years ago Bryan and I agreed to take Buck into our care - seriously, he has been the most awesome Dog! We got him just 2 months after we were married so he has been with our little family unit from the very beginning.
He is also the ultimate jogging partner, great with kids, well behaved (never chews anything he isn't suppose to), he is loving, playful.
All this to say, WE LOVE BUCK!
If you didn't catch the story of how we were blessed with Buck, refer to last year's post.

A stand-up Grandad

2009-05-19T00:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Darrell!

Just wanted to send a birthday shout-out to Darrell. We are so blessed to have him as part of our lives. I love that he is so involved in our kids lives as well. He is a wonderful man and I know he means a lot to many people.

NOTE: I just thought I'd brag on him a little bit as well. He is probably one of the healthiest 58 year olds I know. I am proud of him for his commitment to working out and eating right. HERE HERE!

LOVE YA!
Here are pictures of Darrell with his two Granddaughters on his birthday.

Double B-day Shout-out

2009-05-06T23:11:00.004-05:00

I just realized that two awesome friends of mine have a birthday today. Now THIS is a cause for celebration!!!
Your friendship means a lot to me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNIFER

May the 4th be with you!

2009-05-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

I took Aubrey to school this morning while Pete hung out with daddy. When I got back, Bryan and Pete were watching Star Wars while waiting for my return. I asked Bryan if he was watching it because it was Star Wars Day (which I had read in a tweet earlier that morning). He had no idea what I was talking about. He did not know this day was celebrated.
It was just one of those random coincidences in life. OR maybe the force is strong with him.

I am sure we will celebrate it from here on out ;)
Pete told me today that he wanted to be a Jedi Youngling.

I love my family!

A gettogether

2009-04-22T22:42:00.003-05:00

I got to see all of my nieces and nephew on (except for Reid) this past Sunday which was so fun!! I think my mom enjoyed it more though. What is not to love about 8 adorable children running around. My mom is going to have a 9th one you know!!!
And NO, it is not in my belly. My brother, Drew, and his wife, Charlotte, are expecting a baby in November sometime...HOW EXCITING!! It is so great for these cousins to be so close. They are already plotting against us, I can tell ;)
(Left to Right: Jack, Aubrey, Lysie, Allie, Evie, Pete, Alex Bear, Charlie, Grammy) Note the huge grin on Grammy's face.
Man, it was sort of hard to get all of these kids in the picture. And yes, I tried to get some of them to stand up while others sat in front but they would have nothing of it.
I loved seeing my siblings too. We got to sing together which is something we haven't done in years. God has blessed me with a wonderful family and I am grateful.

Approved Kid's Book: MOUSE SOUP

2009-04-18T00:23:00.004-05:00

I thought I would periodically put a children's book recommendation on my blog for those of you seeking out new and fun books to read to your little ones. I would love for you to share some with me as well. MOUSE SOUP is my first one. My neighbor recommended it to me and Aubrey (my 3 year old) knows it word for word. She has learned several things from reading this book. It includes a series of short stories so it has an index which is fun because she understands what the word "index" means now. Also, I love it's creativity and randomness! Check it out sometime. It will also be a great starter book when she is ready to read herself.

Precious Little Ones

2009-04-13T23:47:00.009-05:00

There are two little kiddos on my thoughts and in my prayers recently:

Jaidan
A beautiful, precious, little girl (who goes to my church) who desperately needs a liver transplant. She has been waiting for one for a good while now. She was inactive on the transplant list for a little while due to an illness but she is better now and set to be put back on the active list on the 20th. Praise God!

SamuelA friend of mine from high school (Jason Hague) has a son named Samuel. Samuel will undergo and open-heart surgery on Friday, the 17th. The doctors will go in, patch the hole in his aorta and pull back the swelled wall in his pulmonary artery to allow full flow of blood to his lungs.

In accordance with His Will, I pray that God would heal these little bodies!
I strongly believe in the power of prayer. Please pray with me for each of these precious children!
NOTHING is impossible with God.

Our 1 year old son

2009-04-05T23:16:00.007-05:00

Bryan and I were talking about how hard it still is to believe that we have a son! We couldn't have asked for a better one. We love that Pete dearly. He has been awesome from day one. There are many things I love about his little personality but I will narrow them down to a few just in case you haven't had the opportunity to hang out with him much.

I love that he...

- smiles constantly AND laughs a lot, especially at Aubrey. He will pretty much laugh at anything she does.
- is so peaceful
- adapts well to change (in routine & environment). I took him to a baby shower a few weeks ago and I kept letting other people he didn't know hold him. He didn't mind a bit.
- gives awesome bear hugs! That sweetness drives straight to a mother's heart.
- is always so playful.
- LOVES music, especially when it has a beat to it. He is constantly banging on things so we got him a little instrument/drum kit for his birthday.
- it VERY durable/tough. Sometimes he will bump his head or fall down and I expect him to cry but he doesn't. Also, the other day I came in and Aubrey was just sitting on his back while he was laying on the floor and he was just smiling.
- is on the move. Yes, I love it. Even though it may be hard to keep him contained sometimes. It is awesome to me that he has such a fascination to explore new things.
- does not usually get upset when his sister takes things away from him. Yes, this happens more than I'd like it to but Pete is usually a good sport about it.

This is a scenario I came upon while entering the back yard. I thought it was so precious. Thank goodness for my iPhone that captured this moment in time. I am sure Pete will have to endure some dress-up time with Aubs in the future. Poor Pete! :)

Other things about him:
He has taken a couple of steps but that is the extent of his walking up to this point. He will walk along the wall or pretty much use anything (from a baby stroller to a chair) as a walker to help him get around the house. He is the fastest crawler I have ever seen for sure though and loves to snatch things within his reach. (note: if you ever put him in a highchair at a table and there is something you don't want Pete to get, don't underestimate his arm span; it's longer than what you might think)

Word he can say up to this point are: "Dada," "Mama," "Nana," "Bu," for our dog Buck and "Ju" (meaning Jump). I am sure he has connected a few more words that I may just have not picked up on. Last Sunday before church, Bryan was in the living room with both of the kids and called for me to look at Pete because he was standing on his own. I turned and saw Pete just free standing in the middle of the floor and was impressed at how long he could stand unsupported. He then said "Ju" and jumped up into the air on his own and landed on his bottom. It cracked me up that he knows how to do that before he can walk.

Pete's 1st Haircut

2009-03-30T01:15:00.005-05:00

Okay, so this post is a little late but I just wanted to post this mainly for my reference and for those of you who may not have seen Pete for a while. Since I have never had Aubrey's hair cut, it was a realization for me that I should probably be aware of keeping Pete looking sharp. Naturally, I asked my mom to do it since she has been cutting both of my brothers hair for as long as I can remember. She was able to cut it a couple of weeks ago (March 13th) and I was glad because he needed it. He did really well, especially considering that she couldn't get around to cutting his hair until right before his bedtime. Grammy did a really great job too :)

I would like to work up to cutting Pete's hair myself but I think I will take a couple of more lessons from my mom. Thanks Grammy!

A sunbeam, a sunbeam

2009-03-11T00:47:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I will sit and talk to Aubrey and become impressed by this beautiful (inside and outside) being God has created and placed in my care.
One morning after making breakfast for us, I was chatting with Aubrey while drinking my coffee and marveled at her. I went and grabbed my camera because I just loved the way the light hit her golden lined hair and her sweet little face. I pictured us having coffee together some day as we would chat about an interesting book one of us read, about a boy she had met, about how how much her daddy loves her or how annoying her brother can be sometimes. I think I will always see her as the beautiful little lady that you see in these pictures, my sweet daughter.

What's gonna work? TEAMWORK

2009-03-05T21:35:00.001-06:00

Our nieces, nephews & kids

2009-03-04T23:18:00.007-06:00

Here is a little recap.
We love these little guys!

Nephew
Jack Allen Butler
Born: October 11, 2005

Niece
Alyse Lenore Allen
Born: February 7, 2006

Daughter
Aubrey Renee' Silverthorne
Born: February 19, 2006

Niece
Alexa Lylith Allen
Born: June 2, 2007

Niece
Evelyn Jane Butler
Born: June 23, 2007

Son
Pete Allen Silverthorne
Born: April 5, 2008

Niece
Allie Laurel Allen
Born: June 23, 2008

Niece
Reid Noel Robertson
Born: August 13, 2008

Nephew
Charlie Emerson Butler
Born: January 17, 2009

We are truly grateful to be a part of each of these kiddo's lives. Notice the birth dates? these kids were all born withing the past 3 1/2 years. I thank God for all of these beautiful, healthy kids.

Congratulations Laura & Joey

2009-03-02T22:46:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to throw a shout-out to my dear friend Laura.

Congratulations on your recent engagement.

I am SO happy for you and Joey. I know that you have been patient and waited for the right man. God has truly blessed you with each other. I am happy to be a witness to your wonderful life together.

WE LOVE YOU!!

Back to our roots

2009-03-01T14:59:00.001-06:00

We met dear friend, Beth, at LeTourneau (where she works in Admissions) last week to see "Hank the Cow Dog" put on by ARTSVIEW Children's Theater of Longview.
Thanks for inviting us Beth! Aubrey really had a lot of fun.

I didn't realize that it would open a flood gate of memories for me as I stepped back onto the campus in which Bryan and I graduated about 6 years ago. Also, it was pretty cool having both of my kiddos there and explaining to Aubrey that it is where her daddy and I went to school, where we first met.
I thought it was pretty awesome seeing our two kids at our old stomping grounds.

SURREAL

Our girl is 3!

2009-02-19T11:10:00.000-06:00

Dearest Aubrey,
I have admired you from the moment I met you. I prayed for you even before you were born. God blessed us way beyond what we could have ever thought or imagined! We have enjoyed being there when your first tooth popped out, you first started crawling and walking, when you said your first word and all of the other stages in your life thus far.Your dad and I are amazed by you every day. You are funny, more than you even know - your dad and I will talk and laugh about the things you do even after you go to sleep. You are a special and unique young lady. I am honored and privileged to have a front row seat along with your daddy and Pete as we watch the story of your life unfold.

Happy third birthday to our sweet little ladybug.

To you, the reader this blog post,
I leave you with just a few of my most memorable pictures of Aubrey:

Zoo-PARTY!

2009-02-11T15:28:00.000-06:00

First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYSIE!! Our sweet, first born niece, Alyse, turned 3 this past Saturday and we celebrated in a really unique way...ZOO PARTY!! The Tyler Zoo was loads of fun and we were so excited that all the cousins on my side of the family were there. Jack, Alyse, Aubrey, Alexa, Evie, Pete, Allie & Charlie (respectively to age) It was awesome to be with friends and family there. Great party Allens!! Here are a few fun pictures from that day:

And of course, our newest nephew, Baby Charlie, was there which was so exciting!!

Hungry, hungry Hippo

2009-02-04T23:27:00.000-06:00

I just couldn't help myself in posting this. Bryan and I think Pete looks like this Hippo on one of Aubrey's (well, actually the Butler's) sippy-cups. Pete's teeth have been coming in quite nicely. He really loves to eat, well, pretty much anything (Cheerios, bananas, strawberries, carrots, sweets, ect.). He has 6 teeth now and two more are coming in.
Tomorrow marks ten months that he has been "outside of womb." We love Pete's sweet disposition and the smile he usually has on his face, which always brings a smile to our faces. LOVE YA BIG BOY!

Useful iPhone Apps

2009-01-27T15:53:00.000-06:00

Bryan got me and iPhone for my birthday a few months ago and I have to say that it has proved to be one of the coolest gifts EVER. I was pretty content with just having my old razor phone but when Bryan gave me this multi-purpose gadget, it really opened the eyes to a whole new world for this mom-on-the-go. If you have an iPhone (or are thinking of getting an iPhone) and have kiddos, or have an iPhone and are thinking of having kiddos, you may want to at least check out my suggestions. If you are not thinking of having an iPhone OR kiddos then you may stop reading this post now and play solitaire on your PC.
Baby Monitor has been one of the most useful apps to me as a mom. I have used it many times after putting one of my kids to sleep at one of my relatives houses or while on vacation. It helps me to feel secure that my baby is sleeping safe and sound. I simply forward my calls to a phone of someone I am with (usually my husbands phone), start the baby monitor, set it next to your sleeping baby - when the baby starts crying or makes a noise, your phone calls the number you have designated for it to call. I love it!! Especially when I go to my moms and put Pete upstairs where it would be hard to hear him if he woke up.

Bryan introduced me to the Ambiance app. I was just using a "white noise" app but this has a wide variety of noises for your listening pleasures. It is great to help a baby stay asleep and drowned out other noises or to help an adult go to sleep and drowned out baby noises. ;)

Since I have had the Grocery IQ, I have not put a pen to paper when planning out my grocery run. I go to my pantry and bust out my iPhone and start planning. I love that I just put an item in my phone when I randomly think of it since my phone it always with me. It also has a "favorites" list you can add so you can easily add your personal staples. (side note: among our top 3 favorites are regular Cheerios, milk & coffee) This application has more! It will sort your list by category/aisle and will save your history just in case you would like to include that to your favorites or grocery list. This is a must have in my book.

...and while we are on the food topic, here is one I haven't used much yet but I can see how it will be quite handy in the future. It is the Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner You can easily browse through recipes by specifying what dish type (Appetizers, beverages, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, ect.) then specify an ingredient you might want in it (chicken, pork, pasta, ect.) and it will even search for recipes by time frames you designate (such as under 20 min, 45 min or less, an hour plus, ect.) I am really excited about this one. It will give you recipe options within your specifications along with their nutritional facts and some reviews as well.

Sketches is great for adults and kids. Aubrey uses it all the time so it is obviously a kid pleasure. I really enjoy creating masterpieces on it as well. I can just doodle, pull up fun clipart or pull photos from my album and add text, clipart, ect.

So these are apps I feel could be useful to most every mom on the go who has an iPhone. Take my suggestions or leave them. I know this post is not in vain!! One of you will find this post useful right? Let me know if you have any suggestions for me. I am always looking for something fun and new (when it comes to apps that is)

Here are a few of my other, personal favorites not mentioned above:

NOTE: did you know that friend, Drew Corbitt, helped to create the "Pitch Pipe" application? It has really been useful to me.

Introducing - Charlie Butler

2009-01-20T01:08:00.000-06:00

Amy was 9 days past her due date and finally had her baby just 1 day before her scheduled induction. It was pretty awesome that Charlie came on his own.
I just wanted you to see our sweet nephew, Charlie Emerson Butler. He was born Sunday, January 18 at 1:45pm. He was 9 lbs 3oz and was 21 3/4 inches long. We are so proud!! Congratulations Butlers!You have a beautiful family.

The 6th day past due

2009-01-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

I came to Bossier City on Tuesday with the kids and we are still here awaiting Amy's baby (baby Charlie) to be born. She was due on the 9th but hasn't shown any signs of labor just yet. I am hoping Charlie will come soon while we are here. It has been nice because the kids are having so much fun together plus Amy and I have enjoyed this time together. She was with me when I was a week late with Pete and it made the time pass so hopefully we are helping this time pass for her too. I am sure my next post will have a picture of our sweet Charlie on it. Amy will be induced on Monday if he doesn't come before that.

For Pete's sake

2009-01-11T18:08:00.000-06:00

This is Pete's 9 month post. Yes, we still love him and still want to keep him ;)
I am just blown away by his cuteness and growth every day. We love to see his little personality, to play games with him, watch him crawl, pull up and eat more and more different kinds of food. I haven't taken him for a 9 month appointment but I weighed him the other day and he weighed a little over 20 lbs., he also has 6 teeth!
We will have to see how tall he is at the Dr. office. God has truly blessed us with a sweet boy and we enjoy every day with him.

I pay tribute to his nine months by sharing recent pictures of him:
Here are a couple of pictures of Pete with friends, Jaiden & Cole.

My friend, Jessi, posted some pictures of Pete and his buddy Lars on her blog.

I love this picture of Pete and cousin, Lysie, playing.

Here is a sweet one of Pete with cousin, Jack, around Christmas time while wearing their Peanut shirts. (Note: for those of you who are wondering - my sister has not had Charlie just yet)
And of course, his proud sister, Aubrey, just adores him even more than when they first started hanging out.

Zippaty Due Date!!

2009-01-09T02:30:00.000-06:00

Well, I just wanted to make this post all about my little sister.
SHE IS DUE TODAY! She has really been through a lot with a big move while taking care of her 3 yrs old and 1 1/2 yr old and finding a new Dr and all. Her family moved to Shreveport (really Bossier City, Jill) from Casper, Wyoming which has been pretty awesome for all of us. Jeremy (my brother-in-law) works for Halliburton and was able to transfer closer to us! We have got to see them a lot more now that they are near and loved being with them over the holidays.
Our kids can all hang out together now and be close (something I have always dreamed of) and now we will be able to go over there when Amy has her bouncing baby boy, Charlie, when he is born - I can't wait!

NOTE TO AMY: Hang in there little sis, it won't be long now!

Christmas in Tyler

2009-01-08T23:57:00.000-06:00

The time we had in Tyler with our family was fun. It is really fun when 4 of my 5 nieces, my nephew and two kids are there. If you want me to add that up for you, that makes 7 kids 3 years of age and younger 7! not to mention that my sister is due TOMORROW! with my second nephew (her third child)...CRAZY!!! My Memaw was able to be there as well which I treasure so much. A good time was had. The kids sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and we had a wonderful Christmas feast. Drew bought and prepared the turkey for Christmas which was delicious! We actually got everything off to a late start (which is not unusual for my side of the family) so by the time we got to open presents, the kids were pretty tired. We let them open their presents, put them all down for naps, then we enjoyed our time drinking eggnog coffee (don't knock it til you try it), opening presents and fellowship. It actually worked out better that way, I enjoyed the peace and quiet for 30 minutes or so.

Christmas in Longview

2009-01-04T15:37:00.000-06:00

We had a Silverthorne/Bussey/Robertson Christmas in the early part of the Christmas week and had a great time. We enjoyed Mexican food (which was so delicious) and lots of family fun and presents.

"Let's have a parade!"

2008-12-31T00:08:00.000-06:00

The float that ACA entered in the parade this year received the Grand Marshall Award and was on the front page of the News Journal. We loved being a part of that even though we weren't actually "on" the float. We tailed behind, pulling Aubrey on a little wagon decked out like a sleigh. It was so much fun hanging with the Thomastons and seeing other friends from ACA there like the Thomas Family.

Nana and Grandad came and hung out with Pete while we walked and I was so glad they did because they kept him nice and warm on that chilly night.

Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff

2008-12-19T01:09:00.000-06:00

I love traditions! I hope our kids have fond memories of random things we do together. I am sure there are many that will just happen but this is one I intend to keep. Bryan and Aubrey put the star on the tree last year and it was awesome to see them put it on this year (snapshots in time). Since then, Pete has entered the world so I am sure he will help out in years t to come. We also got a real tree again which is something I remember my dad wanting every year so it is sentimental for me. I just love the smell of it! Christmas time is so wonderful.

I look forward to spending this weekend and the early part of next week with Bryan's family and then heading over to Tyler to see my side of the family.
I have really enjoyed using my iPhone to capture random moments with it's sweet camera. I am blessed to have a wonderful little family.

How many are Your works

2008-12-11T00:53:00.000-06:00

I loved having our Thanksgiving in Florida!! What is not to love about it? A great family in great weather with a great view - Aubrey absolutely loved the sand and seemed right at home on the beach. I love playing in the sand, visiting while on the beach, taking long walks on the beach. There is just something about looking out and just seeing water as far as the eye can see. Perhaps through a breathtaking bed of seemingly endless water, God reveals only a glimpse of Himself to us.God has blessed us with a wonderful family and for that I am grateful.

A good friend of mine dropped me an email because she was thinking of me over the Thanksgiving Holiday. She included this verse:

Psalm 104 (vs.24-25)
How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teaming with creatures beyond number--
living things both large and small.

I thank God for His many works.
Here are some pictures from our trip:

200th Post!!

2008-12-03T00:33:00.000-06:00

We've come a long way from our first post! OR from our 100th post, OR even since last year. I like to look back on these posts and see our little family grow right before my eyes and it is easy to see God's Hand on our lives. A lot has happened for us in the past 3 years and I thank God for His love and grace in our lives.
We have been pretty busy with several events this past month in which pictures are posted below. Enjoy:

FALL FEST at ACA
We were so proud that Aubrey got an award for her costume her Nana bought her last year. Also, Pete was a handsome Superman.

TRUNK OR TREAT I love this first picture of Pete and Nana
Also, Aubrey and her look-a-like, Mallory, were so cute together.

Melissa Brown took this picture of Pete's little girlfriend, Jaiden. She was the most adorable little giraffe I have ever seen.

Harper came as well, and I just loved her Velma costume! Kim Powell was dressed as Fred which made for a wonderful photo opp.

This picture of pirate Blaze cracks me up every time. He is in a carrier and his cute little pirate face is just popping out. SO precious!

Here are other accounts from this event.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
This was our first year to do this. The kiddos go to the mall and eat breakfast with Santa in their pj's. All I can say about it is that it was chaotic! Aubrey seemed to have fun but I don't think it would have been fun if her friends had not been there.

Here are other accounts of this event.

JAIDEN'S 1st BIRTHDAY PARTY
We had a wonderful time at Jaiden's party. We are so happy Jaymie and Jaiden are in our lives and thankful for God's Hand in their lives. Jaiden needs a liver transplant and after a lot of prayer, she is now first of the list to receive one. Aubrey and Grayson had fun as well.

I loved the cakes! Jaymie had the one on the right done at Brookshires and Amamda Spiess made the one the left. Isn't she amazing?

THANKSGIVING FEAST at ACA
This was the first time we were a part of the ACA Thanksgiving feast and I was pretty impressed with how smooth it went. It also helps that there were awesome and willing staff members and parents there. The kids were so precious and the teachers did a great job on dressing them up.

Here are other accounts of this event.

Well, I hope to catch you up to speed - this is my grand finale post. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. We had a great time in Florida with family (pictures of that to come). I am so thankful for family.
God is good!

Hey Twin!

2008-11-18T23:44:00.000-06:00

I throw birthday shout-outs on this blog every now and again but I forgot to shoot one out to my twin brother. I guess I just got caught up in, ya know, it being my birthday as well. It has been an awesome 29 years and it NEVER gets old sharing one with my brother. Hands down, Drew is one of my favorite persons to hang out with. One of the many things I love about Drew is that he is committed to his family. I know that he would pretty much do anything for me or any of his family.
We have been though a lot together, many hard times and many great times. Drew can and could make me laugh harder than anybody. I love his wittiness, great sense of humor and impeccable timing of delivery of jokes. He is and has always been a very interesting person and I love reading his blog and one he has about my 3 sweet nieces.
I am so proud of him. He has been through a lot of changes in the past few years and it has been a joy to watch him become a husband, a father and to take those roles on so well. God has truly blessed him with a wonderful wife & kids. Here is a picture of he and his lovely family:

We have spent all of our birthdays together but one. I plan to spend every birthday with him for the rest of our lives. Here are some then and now pictures which I am all about.

For our birthday this year, we ended up hanging out at Drew's house (our spouses gave us a party). We let the kids run around and play while we socialized, ate pizza and had some cake/coffee (there is ALWAYS coffee at Drew's house). It was very enjoyable. Here are a couple of pictures from that night. At the first of this blog is a picture of my bro posing after opening up the gift we got him, a Steeler's Jersey. He is a big fan.

Thundering our Sneakers Again!

2008-11-15T15:13:00.000-06:00

Two people who can really lift my spirits are my good friends Laura and Beth. I LOVE hanging out with them. I am so glad that they feel comfortable enough to invite themselves over or just come in through the garage of my house and make themselves totally at home. Now those are close friends!
We have started a tradition of going to the annual fundraiser, Thundering Sneakers, which Henderson's library. This was our 3rd year to do this 5K and we really have a lot of fun. I hope to be running many more years with you Beth and Laura!!!

Happy 30th B-day Charlotte!!

2008-11-13T15:49:00.000-06:00

(the above picture was taken by Drew a year ago. Charlotte surprised him for his birthday with Steelers tickets so they went to St. Louis to watch them play the Rams - Awesome gift!)
Just wanted to make a quick post to wish my sweet sister-in-law, Charlotte. I think any given person who knows her would comment on how patient and loving she is towards everyone. She is a wonderful wife to Drew, mother to 3 beautiful girls, Aunt to my kids and sister-in-law to me...and the list goes on. I have known her even through Jr. High and High School because we played went to Christian schools that were rivals. We mainly remember each other on the basketball court. I will lower my pride just a little today and show you the beginnings of our friendship /rivalry. awwwwkward!
I love that Charlotte is so sweet but I also know about her competitive spirit which I like :) I think this picture was taken in 96' or 97'

Happy belated birthday Charlotte! Thanks for being a great friend!!

Glad I said yes!

2008-11-05T23:47:00.000-06:00

There are plenty of things I could be blogging about right now, photos I can't wait to show you, things Pete has done that make me smile, things Aubrey says that make me laugh. However, as I was sitting here at my computer I realize that today is the day Bryan proposed to me 4 years ago. I thought it was a sign that I should tell you this fun story of my incredibly amazing husband.

First of all, I wasn't really sure when Bryan would propose to me and I was starting to wonder if he ever would. We were in a dating relationship for almost 2 years. I was living with three friends at the time (Vanessa, Laura & Beth) and worked a the Longview News Journal. Bryan was working at Satterwhite Log Homes at the time. He devised a plan to propose to me at the Satterwhite Model Log Home and then take me to the Tyler Street Bistro downtown for an engagement party. I was totally oblivious to the entire thing. I just thought we were going on a date out to eat.
Bryan said he had to check the Model Home first and make sure the lights where turned off, so I agreed to go with him there first. After realizing that our efforts were futile because most of the lights were censored lights, he called me onto the back deck...there, candles were lit and roses were at the table (Amy and Drew sneaked over before we got there). Bryan was a little nervous at first but he prayed with me then got on his knee and proposed to me. (note: Picture on the right was taken during our engagement pictures - it was where he proposed)
Friends came from Tyler and Corsicana. Family came from Tyler & Austin - Bryan even flew one of my closest friends, Megan, from Wisconsin, so that she could share that wonderful day with me. It was a great one! I don't want to possibly bore you with more details but I was completely overwhelmed by the love I felt that night from family, friends and Bryan (who incidentally is now part of my family AND my best friend).

Confirmed

2008-10-27T23:29:00.000-05:00

People have told me that Aubrey resembles me. It blew me away when I came across this photo (of myself) the other day. I believe this does look somewhat like Aubrey.

That's so corny!

2008-10-24T16:36:00.000-05:00

I have to back-track a little because I wanted to put these pictures all on the same post. A few weeks ago the Jones's down the street invited us to go with them to Moore Farms in Bullard one Saturday morning. We had a great time and Aubrey couldn't stop talking about going to the pumpkin patch with her friend Harper. It really was a fun place to go for all of us. Here are a few pictures from that day.

We also went to a corn maize with Alpine (located off of I-20 near 271 exit) and had a good time. Aubrey was anxious to ride the bus there (it was her first time to ride one). She was so excited to see friends Grayson and Mallory there when we arrived. After an exchange of hugs, it was off to the corn they went. The kids loved the huge pool of corn, even Elizabeth and Pete played in it for a while.
We rode a hay ride and watched the pig races as well. I did not go through the corn maize but I heard it was pretty fun.
It was awesome to share this experience with my friends too!

My beautiful, glowing, pregnant friend Amanda is always so silly. I think she enjoyed the corn more than the kids did.

I love this last picture Mindi took of Aubrey chilling out in the corn.

These two buddies

2008-10-18T23:42:00.000-05:00

I was just thinking about my friend Jessi and remembering fun times I had with her at LU playing intramural sports, drinkin' coffee, watching Waiting for Guffman, or just chillin' out at our trailer (yes, we lived in a trailer on Green street one summer)
I took some pictures of Pete and her son, Lars, when Jessi was in Texas last. She was due with Lars Mid-April and I was due with Pete late-March but we ended up having our boys about 12 hours apart. Also, it was pretty cool because neither one of us found out the gender of our babies early. (note: the above picture was taken in 2002 when my friend Jessi and I were going to LeTourneau - aw, sweet memories and sweet tea)

Jessi always pays me a visit when she comes back to her great home state and it is so much fun to hang out and catch up. She has been residing in VA for several years now.
I love my dear friend and I think it is awesome that we can share the bond of motherhood. She is so laid back and easy to talk to and is one of my truest friends in which I can confide.

I am sure these boys will have a photo shoot most every time Jessi and I get together until we hear the boys say "MOM, not again!" Of course, they will know the drill by then. This was the first time Lars and Pete met. - Lars born April 4th & Pete -April 5th

Here they are at 5 weeks

Here they are at 5 months

Here's to many more side-by-side pictures of these two buddies. We will take pictures of Pete and Lars together as well.

I dedicate this clip to Jessi - DQ Country misses you!

"Something's up with Jack..."

2008-10-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

HE JUST TURNED 3!

My ONLY nephew (outside of the womb anyway), turned 3 this past weekend! I am so proud of him and I love him very much. He has such a loving and sweet nature.
These next 2 pictures are of me and Aubrey with Jack when we went to visit in Wyoming just before his sister, Evie, was born.
Although I haven't been got to be near him geographically, I have really enjoyed the times we have been together AND I love keeping up with him through pictures and videos my sister posts on flickr or her blog. Every time he and Aubrey get together, it is pure joy!
I also wanted to say how proud I am of my little sister - she has proved to be an awesome mother. I know it hasn't always been easy when there little family moved to Britten, CO and then to Casper, WY with to Jeremy's job. She moved to these places not knowing anyone in these towns but she has managed to make friends and take great care of two beautiful, awesome kids. GREAT JOB SIS!

Not to be biased but Jack is the most handsome 3 year old I know, there, I said it :) There are WAY too many cute pictures to choose from but here are a few of my favorites of Jack.

Did I mention he is a great big brother to little sister, Evie?

We are so excited to be near them soon. The Butlers are moving soon to Bossier City, LA from Casper, WY which is only an hours drive from Longview as opposed to an 18 1/2 hour drive. This makes me happy to get to see them A LOT more often than I have, to be with them over Christmas and for the birth of my second nephew, due in January! YEAH!

WE LOVE YOU JACK!
I leave you with a video of he and Aubrey the last time they were together this past June at Grammy's house-

Goin' down the track, clickaty clack...

2008-10-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

All aboard!

Hop on the party train as we celebrate Pete's 1/2 birthday! Yep, he will be 6 months old tomorrow. It has gone by so fast and I still can't believe we have a son. We will have his 6 month appointment soon so I will let you know the details of how much he weighs and all that good stuff.

His status for now:
He can role over now from his back to his front both ways (meaning over his left and right shoulder), he can sit up for a good amount of time by himself, he is cutting his first tooth, he is getting more aware of faces/places, he is talking a lot (don't know what he is saying yet, but we will), we will start him on some rice cereal soon and he still loves his jumperoo. I will also add what Aubrey likes to tell people about her brother; as she raises her arms, she says "He is getting bigger, and bigger and BIGGER!"

As for now, I will leave you with some pictures Debbie asked me to take of Pete wearing a train engineer outfit his daddy wore when he was a little man. She even moved the buttons on the straps because Pete was a little too long for the outfit.

Bryan at around 7 or 8 months of age:

Pete at 6 months of age:

We think Harper is neat

2008-09-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of the expression "Keeping up with the Jones next door?" Well, we have some Jones (Aaron, Jennifer and daughter, Harper) down the street and we think they are pretty cool. We have lived at the house we are at for almost 3 years (the Jones have been in theirs even longer) and Harper just turned 3. It has been fun knowing her for most of her life and watching her grow along with Aubrey.

Aubrey has hung out with Harper off and on the past couple of years whether it be walking around our block, riding around in Harper's toy jeep, having play-dates at each others houses or at the park, ect. Harper has taught Aubrey a lot of things, namely, how to not be scared on the swing when you go up high.
It has also been a wonderful thing to witness these two sweet girls as their friendship grows. We met up with Jennifer and Harper Friday morning (Harper's Birthday) and I took a few pictures:

Here are a few pictures Bryan took of Harper's party on Saturday. It was such a beautiful day!

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet Harper

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2008-09-24T23:16:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEREMY!

hehe - this picture of Jeremy always cracks me up -

Happy birthday to sweet Jeremy. We love ya.

Live it up Melissa!

2008-09-22T13:03:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to a girl who is always ready to be a little silly and have some fun! Okay, so some of these pictures are from trunk-or-treat but I thought this would be a great opportunity to show them off :)

Melissa,
I hope you have a wonderful birthday and I hope others show you (like I hopefully do) how much you mean to them and how your thoughtfulness has touched many hearts.

She is awesome at her most recent role, being a mom!

If you don't know Melissa, I would recommend get to know her.

Give me sugar water!!

2008-09-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share some pictures of hummingbirds who have migrated to my block. I took these pictures in my neighbor's yard (with her permission of course). I was anticipating taking a clean shot of one hummingbird but I was so happy to see a whole group of them vegging out on sugar water at the bird feeder.

I was fascinated by these little creatures. Here are a few interesting (well, what I consider interesting) facts about Hummingbirds:

- The heart rate for a hummingbird is about 1260 beats per minute.

- Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, even upside down.

- Most hummingbirds flap their wings about 50 or so times a second.

- Hummingbirds lift from perches without pushing off; they rise entirely on their own power, flapping their wings at almost full speed before lifting off.

(note: check out the little lizard - I think he is jealous of these beautiful birds)

Happy 30th Angie!

2008-09-14T21:50:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to send a shout-out to my really awesome sister-in-law - and say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"
Angie,
I just want to thank you for being an awesome listener and a devoted friend. You are always a joy to be around - We love your fun and loving spirit.

(photo taken by Aubrey)
Aubrey and Pete wish you a happy birthday too and want to thank you for being there for them from the very start:

Aunt Gi' and Aubrey
Aunt Gi' and Pete

If you would like to know more about this wonderful person then check out what's going on In Bussey World. I am a devoted reader!

"May the force be with you"

2008-09-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

Bryan's birthday was a great day. We had a nice feast for breakfast, went to get his hair cut, to the library, took a nap. This was all so fun because our little family was together doing all of these activities.

We then went to the Texas Roadhouse (one of Bryan's favs) with Darrell, Debbie and Bryan's Granny which was nice.

Lastly, Bryan opened a few presents and had some R2D2 birthday cake that Amanda Spiess, Aubrey and I made. (NOTE: I must give Amanda Spiess the credit however, I had some ideas and she ran with it and made it a reality - awesome)
I thought it would be good to keep the R2D2 theme going from when we got him the R2D2 robot for Christmas. It is pretty cute that Aubrey can now spot an R2D2 or a Wall-E anywhere. We are so proud!

Which reminds me, something you may not know about Bryan is that drawing robots has been a pastime of his.

5 months on the 5th

2008-09-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Today, Pete is 5 months old. It is hard to believe that he is growing so fast. I know Aubrey is excited for him to grow up so she can run around and play with him. I have been waiting for a few days to post these recent pictures of our precious son.
One of Pete's favorite things to do now days is jump in the jumperoo he inherited from his cousins. I was hoping he would like it but that is an understatement. Aaron delivered it to our house and as I was talking to him, I put Pete in it. We talked for a good while and just kept looking at Pete as he was jumping. He smiled, and jumped, smiled and jumped. He was in it a good 30 minutes the first time and now we will jump in it even longer. That boy is a certified jumper now. I must get a video so you can see this awesomeness. For now you will have to view his cuteness in a still-shot.
Also, I don't know if you read the post of his 4 1/2 check-up but Pete was 28 inches long and I thought it was interesting as I looked back at a post I created when Aubrey was 7 months old - she was not even that tall yet.

HAPPY 5 months Pete! We love your little personality already.

"No Biz like Showbiz"

2008-09-02T01:02:00.000-05:00

Showbiz Pizza? Oh, Chuck E. Cheese I mean.
I was wondering why people ask if I remember when Chuck E. Cheese was called Showbiz. "ummm, not really"
Was Chuck E. Cheese actually "Showbiz Pizza" at one point?
Wikipedia says: Showbiz Pizza Place was a restaurant chain popular in the 1980's. It's history is greatly intertwined with that of it's main competitor, and eventual successor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. So that explains it. I do remember going there with my family in the mid 80's however. Mom said we went to a Chuck E. Cheese for my dad's birthday when we visited my Uncle Randy who lived in Abilene, TX at the time. I treasure these pictures:

I have taken Aubrey to Chuck E. Cheese two times this past weekend. I think she has had her fair share of the big Rat for a while.
The first time we met with some some friends during the day on Friday and had a great time. It was nice that there weren't very many people do to the fact that school has started already for a lot of kids. Here are a few pictures from that day:
Bryan and I thought Grayson looked pretty grown up in this first picture. I think he is soaking it all in.
Addison and Mallory were pretty cute riding the horse:

Kiddos were dancing...They were getting their groove for sure and it was cracking me up. I don't think they even cared about eating pizza at this point.

Our second trip to C.E.C.'s, we met up with my brother Drew & his family (my sister-in-law, Charlotte and my 3 lovely nieces) and my other brother, Aaron. We were too busy with taking care of kiddos and playing games that I didn't bust out the camera much but I did manage to get these two shots.
Bryan was playing a game and our niece, Alyse crawled in his lap and then Aubrey did of course. I think they were all having fun:

This next one is of my sweet little niece Allie. She is growing so fast! She was so pleasant and slept most of the time were we there.

Last, I leave you with this:
If you ever seen The Rock-afire Explosion, you may find this humorous as I did:

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby!

2008-08-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

Since today is Bryan's birthday, I feel justified in sharing a few things about him you may not know. I usually parade my kiddos all over this blog but this one is just to share a little bit about why I am excited that Bryan came into this world 32 years ago.

(The above pictures were taken in London on our honeymoon 3 years ago - I thought they were only a glimpse of Bryan's sense of humor)

Let's see, where do I even start?
I love his:
- genuine love for God
- Randomness
- keen sense for style
- cleanliness
- honesty
- thoroughness
- ability to make anything we do FUN
- drive to see something from start to finish (completion)
- ability to be one of the best dad's ever
- great laugh
- ability to fix things (troubleshooting)
- beautiful mind/ creativity
- sense of humor
- great company
- awesome insight
- loving nature
- family values (commitment)
...and the list goes on!

Here are a couple of pictures from 32 years ago. His mother (Debbie) developed toxemia during her pregnancy so Bryan was brought into this world just a little prematurely but was a healthy little boy none the less. Kind of remind you of Pete?

We thank God for you Bryan and we love you!
What I am trying to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYAN! Your family loves and adores you.

"I'm really sorry Aubrey!"

2008-08-24T17:04:00.000-05:00

I really feel bad when my child has to go to the Dr. when she is hurt, but I feel just AWEFUL when it was my fault!
Aubrey was laying on the floor at our house after church and I told her to do something, she wasn't minding me so I pulled her up by one arm - this made her cry (not unusual right?) Well, she kept crying (which is a little unusual) then after she stopped crying, she started up again whenever I would move her left arm (VERY unusual - and alarming) I started to feel just terrible about the whole thing. I hand fed her, then put her down for her nap, then called the "on call nurse" for Aubrey's Dr. - she advised me to come soon because Aubrey's Dr. just happened to be at the diagnostic clinic (she was "on call" on a Sunday which was sweet)

Her Dr. told me not to worry, Aubrey just had Nursemaid's Elbow.
"What is that?" you ask

Nursemaid elbow is a common injury among preschool-aged children. Referring to a condition in which a child's elbow bones get partially pulled out of joint and do not line up normally. The injury can occur innocently from swinging a young child by the arms or pulling a child's arm while in a hurry (which is what I did). It is a temporary condition without permanent effects, it can be quite frightening to parents who find their child lacking the ability to use his or her upper arm.

How was it treated?
Aubrey sat in my lap while Dr. Roberts checked her arm out. She then straightened her arm out forward with her palm upwards, then bent her elbow so her hand touched the top of that same shoulder. THAT WAS IT! It worked like a charm. Aubrey's relief was instantaneous. Sheeew - Then, I stopped feeling horrible for doing this to my sweet, little Aubrey and relaxed. We then went to Sonic to get Aubrey a shake of her choice - she got chocolate but ended up switching with her daddy and had a strawberry-banana smoothie.

I am posting this to help others who may come across this common occurrence with their child. Hopefully this post will help you to avoid this from happening all together OR at least not get too worked up once it does happen.
Click here for more specific instructions on how it is treated by a professional. I hope this never happens again, but if it does, I probably wont freak out and cry to my mom, husband and a friend.

"...singin' a song, side by side"

2008-08-22T00:35:00.000-05:00

Pete loves his big sister! When he hears her voice, his face lights up. He smiles and laughs at her constantly. She is always loving on him too and asks to hold him. I let her a lot more now than I use to and also, he is pretty sturdy; I doubt she could do much damage :) I am excited that I have a front row seat as I watch this relationship grow.
I have a few random pictures I wanted to share so I will post them for you here. Hope you enjoy them:

"It's time for Bible class."
Sometimes you never know what scenario your child will come up with when left to themselves. I walked into Aubrey's room after not hearing her for a little while (I usually know somethings up then). She explained that her pink duck was Mrs. Patty (her Sunday school teacher) and the other bears and chickens and things were her students. Hey, they need to learn about God too right?

Rainy Days: We have been so grateful for the rain! The other day I told Aubrey we could go to the library so she was getting excited about it and right before we were about to leave, it started raining. I really didn't want to get out and drive in the rain so I came up with a better solution...let's just PLAY in the rain. So that is exactly what we did. Free entertainment - I am all about that.

Wanna be, wanna be like daddy. Pete resembles his dad which is great because I have always thought Bryan is and was absolutely adorable (I know mushy hah? - just keeping it real here) These shirts were given to Bryan by our friend Libby when Aubrey was born. We busted them out the other day and saw this to be more fitting since Pete really is a mini-version of Bryan. I am proud of my boys!

Bryan had to run a quick errand so he asked Aubrey if she wanted to go with him (which is a real treat because he usually is working in his office during the day). Of course, she jumped at the chance and enjoyed it.

I love this picture he snapped of her. She looks so grown up and so proud to be hanging out with dad during the work day.

Our Little Tyke is getting bigger

2008-08-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

Mr. Pete had his 4 month appointment last Thursday (he is actually 4 1/2 mo.) and Dr. Roberts says he is doing great. He is growing at a nice rate and is just a healthy boy. He weighed in at 16.8 lbs. (80th percentile) and was 28 inches long (99th percentile) jeepers!
Pete is almost as big as his friend Lars who was born less than 24 hours before him.
Life has been a dream having a 2nd child - a sweet, cuddly, lovable, happy, little boy, a wonderful son. Aubrey was a peaceful baby so people told me that our next one would be a terror - "WRONG!" Well, at least I can say that as of right now. Pete is one of the most laid back children I know. Thanks God!

Here are a few other recent pictures of Pete and some relatives who love him dearly:
Pete and his Unky Aaron

Pete and his Aunt Gi

Aubrey is still loving on Pete and has been so wonderful with him. She throws his diapers away, helps cleanup spit-up, puts blankets on him when she thinks he is cold, comes and tells me when I need to take care of him, ect.

What a wonderful big sister!

Pete for sure recognizes her voice and gets so excited when she leans over and talks to him in her soft voice. She is usually greeted with a huge Pete smile.

Aubrey calls him "Little Buddy" (got it from Wow! Wow! Wubzy!) now which is almost as cute as when she called him "Baby Peep."

Reid is HERE!!

2008-08-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

Our sweet niece, Reid, was born yesterday, August 13th at 10:59 PM.
We got news that Reid and Renee' are both doing very well.

Reid weighed a whopping 9 lbs, 6 oz and was 21 inches long. Huge baby. Pretty impressive for little Renee' to carry a good sized baby like that. Just for reference, that is 2 lbs. more than Pete weighed when he was born. She was born in Florida (Casey and Renee' currently reside in Crestview, FL.)
We are so happy and proud for the growing Robertson family!
...and proud of our little niece.

Here is a sweet video of Reid and Casey (her daddy)

...and of course her Nana and Grandad were there along with her Aunt G'