Thanksgiving 2008

Our outdoor fireplace right when it was finished. All nice and clean but not for long...

Notice Jimmy's gloves....

Well, our tradition is to fry a turkey. I put Jimmy to the task as he knows how to work the fryer, so I thought. :~) What a fiasco this quickly became and the burnt gloves are proof of that. Let's just say we had a fire and Jimmy tried to put it out with water. Grease fire and water!!!!???? Not a good combo as he knew prior to trying to put the fire out. I felt so bad as Jimmy did get some burns on his arm but I'm thankful that was it. After all this craziness, I must say, it was a darn good turkey. Even Kendall ate it.

Also, we had our outdoor fireplace completed that weekend. It's so awesome. We noticed how popular they are in Texas and decided to put one in our backyard. We had our patio extended to make it fit properly. We've enjoyed several fires and even roasted marshmallows to make smores.

Gammy and Papa come to visit!

Kendall was so excited when Papa, my dad, made a surprise visit to see her. He was on his way from California back home to Atlanta when he decided to stop in Dallas. Gammy was already here visiting so it was nice that he could come also. Kendall is all about her Papa and when he is around all you hear from her is "Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa" over and over and over again.

Here is my extra set of hands, AKA "Gammy" or my mom. The week that she was here, Jace was sooooo fussy in the evenings. She knows how taxing that can be to deal with day after day, so she was so wonderful in "sharing the load" we'll just say. She deserves an award for calming a fussy baby b/c he calmed down when she walked around with him.

I absolutely cherish our visits together, as she is a wonderful help to me and my best friend. I never thought at 31 years old I would cry when she leaves to go back to Atlanta but it never fails.

Family Pictures- What a task!

I had to include this one. The fire ant shot. Poor girl! I know those little boogers wanted their photo taken but I didn't pay for them to be in the shot.

My fav shot of Kendall. I love her eyes in this one.

My fav shot of little man. I loved how Jimmy's hand is wrapped around him.

One of the family shots I liked. Focus Jace :~)

I hired a photographer to come out to the house to take our pictures. I figured I could knock out family pics, Jace's newborn pics, and Kendall's 2 year old pics all in one setting. So, like any smart Mom I know that the "photo shoot" has to be planned around naptime or else it could be a nightmare. Well, that's exactly what I did; a 4 o'clock shoot. Kendall will be rested and happy, Jace will be rested and fed. Uhhhh...not so much!! It was a complete disaster! We started by taking a few shots in our home by the fireplace and Kendall just wasn't having it. I'm not sure how she felt about the photographer either, but he was a strange man to her, so I'll excuse her behavior a bit. Needless to say, none of the pics by the fireplace were worth a crap. So, we moved outside into our front yard. I desparately wanted some shots of the kids. Same scenario as inside, Kendall just wasn't having it. Sooooo, our last destination was our neighborhood clubhouse. While the behavior got better, what came next was horrible and quite unexpected. While Kendall was "posing" and smiling by a tree, she starts pulling on her pant legs repeatedly saying "mommy, mommy." I walk over to her only to see fire ants all over her shoes and crawling up her legs. I ripped her pants off so fast and swatted at her feet and legs to get rid of them. She got several bites but was fine, thank you God. After all of that, it was just about the end of our photo shoot and for good reason, right?!

With all that said, I was happily surprised by the the photos. The photographer got some amazing shots, not of me, of course, but of the kids which is what mattered to me anyway. I guess that's why he's the professional and I am not.

Halloween 2008

Our neighborhood Halloween party for the kids

I wish I could give credit to whomever took this precious pic. Isn't it precious!! The "skunk" is one of Kendall's friends in our playgroup.

Armed and ready!

What a fun Halloween this was! Kendall had a blast and "got" the whole trick or treat concept this year. We took her and Jace to about 10 houses around our block and she got lots of good candy. I have to admit it was thoroughly enjoyed by me and Jimmy. Jace slept in the stroller the whole time but he sure looked cute in his cow costume.

Kendall, Jace and Nate

Uncle Brad, Aunt Kim and Cousin Nate came to visit us in Texas. Kendall had so much fun playing with Nate and loves saying his name over and over and over again.

The boys... Nate- 6 months, Jace- 6 weeks

More Pics of Jace's birthday

Is this a handful or what!!?? Is Jimmy tired? Look at those eyes.
Finally awake and bright eyed
back asleep-- how peaceful!
my 1st bath-- not crazy about this but I didn't cry too much
bright eyed again- I love my swing!

Welcome to our baby boy, Jace!

Jace (James Charles Hoffner III) was born September 22, 2008 at 1:32 pm weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19 inches long. Quite a little peanut!! We stayed in the hospital for 3 days because I had a c-section. And talk about the nicest hotel, I mean hospital, I have ever witnessed. On our last night, we had a steak and lobster dinner, seriously! Kendall is adjusting well to her new role as big sis. She wants to kiss and hold him and we are working on the "gentleness" aspect with her. All of the grandparents were with us during his birth and Mimi and Gammy stayed on to help Jimmy and I around the house. I really appreciate that extra support, especially with a very busy 2 year old. Jace is awesome, sleeping like a rock and eating like a grown man. Makes me happy to know that he is happy!
Here are some pics from his birthday:

minutes old getting my 1st assessment
Meeting my mommy right after my birth

my 1st photo shoot
meeting my big sis Kendall

Jace Meets his Grandparents

Kendall at Preschool

Walking into the school on Kendall's 1st day- Sept.2, 2008
Notice how far away from Mommy she is walking....

Here are Kendall's friends in her class. There are eight 2 year olds. Can you even imagine!!??

I decided to enroll Kendall in a preschool program at a local church. She goes 2 days a week from 9-12. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Keller and Kendall loves her. Since she's started school, we've noticed remarkable changes in her vocabulary. She is talking up a storm now and making up to 4 word sentences.
She also brings us home the cutest craft projects. I absolutely love looking through her school bag when I pick her up to see what precious little craft will be in there.

Kendall and Mommy (at 38 weeks pregnant)

1 more week until Kendall's baby brother is born. Mommy sure is ready. :~)