Behold...Behold...Kendall singing

For once Kendall actually remembered a song that she was learning at school...well, the first 2 words anyway. But thanks to the modern miracle of the internet we were able to find it on YouTube and she sang it. Then she sang it again...and again...and then I sang it...and upon the 17th time of hearing it I decided to record it. Well on the 2nd and 3rd camera takes Kendall turned into a diva and ordered me to the other side of the room so she could perform. WHATEV! (Grandma, that's the cool way of dismissing someone and saying "Whatever" wait, you are email-savvy so you probably alreay know that.)

On the move!

Avery has been crawling since 6 months and is ready to walk! She doesn't trust herself yet but she CAN stand on her on. She usually just slower lowers herself to the floor if she figures out we aren't holding onto her anymore. This is Kendall's old push along toy. The video is a little dark because the lighting in our living room is so crappy but you get the gist!

Oops, well, here is an extra. I uploaded this one first, but it's the wrong one.

Kendall's Picture Day

Kendall dressing herself for picture day.

Mommy dressing Kendall for Picture Day
Funny girl

9 months - Official photo shoot

Recent Avery developments:

• Learned to drink from a straw (at G & G Brewer's house last weekend)
• Stood for 1 1/2 seconds all by herself last night
• Has started really babbling and added Yah yah yah da da da. It's so cute when she's mad and she starts yell/crying it.

273.931649 days

9 months - Avery's age. She loves (in no certain order)...

• her sister - no one can make her change from crying to laughing in a nanosecond like Kendall.
• the cat - she almost breaks her neck trying to whip around to see him. The love is NOT reciprocated.
• chewing on shoes.
• chewing on the bathtub handles.
• chewing on stray pieces of carpet.
• dog food (well, TRYING to eat it, she's gotten it in her mouth, but not swallowed. Maybe I should let her eat it and she'll realize it's not so great.)
• the dog bowls. What is so great about these bowls? I've got no clue. Oh except that one is filled with fun cool water that is oh so much fun to splash all over the floor creating a serious hazard to all who dare pass.
• Cheerios. She's trying to convince us that's all the nutrition she needs. Perhaps she has forgotten that she is the 2nd child and that crap don't play in the Hurlbut household.

She is pulling up on everything and I'm sure will be walking soon. She started walking while holding onto things last week. She's got 6 teeth, 4 on top and 2 on bottom and they are sharp. Now she does this cute little scrunchy face smile when she's tickled with herself. It's a Kate-trait. Both girls have my ticks.

She's had a stuffy nose for almost 2 weeks now and it's really getting old. This kid is strong. Trying to wipe the nose of a baby you have in a bodylock is no fun. She turns into some sort of one piece muscle that is impossible to grasp. I usually end up having visual proof of the wrath of Avery...snot all over my shirt.

She is so much fun and time is passing all too quickly. I think that for Halloween she'll be an Octopus. I found a cute costume in the Family Circle magazine. More pictures to follow!

Avery's room

Here is the tree that I painted in Avery's room - copied from Pottery Barn of course. I don't have an original bone in my body but I can copy anything!!!! I painted it while I was still pregnant but I'm just now posting pictures. I LOVE my purple squirrel and my owl. Doing this was SO MUCH FUN! Who doesn't like painting on walls!!!

Visit at the 'rents

Had a great visit at my parent's this weekend. Ahhh...I miss the cold rainy 60 degree weather of Dallas - am I crazy? Now it's back to H-town - 80 degrees 100% humidity.

My parents and the girls

Cute picture of mom...Avery, not so much.

Grandma Tori and the girls

Grandpa Jim and his girls

Kendall clinging to the tree, trying to act brave.

Yucky, Stucky, Cal-a-ma-jucky

That's how I describe this past month. I've dreaded this time. I've dreaded it with all of my heart and I've hidden down here in Houston for as long as I can, hoping to stop time. I got the call on September 15th that my grandpa had passed away. This is my real dad's dad. I say "real" dad, because I feel like "biological" father leads people to believe that I have a dad still out there somewhere who has nothing to do with me. Long story short, my read dad passed away before I was born. My mother married Jim, my "current" real dad who has been there since I was a year old and is a wonderful father to me and now an even greater grandfather to my kids. He's been there my whole life and a dad doesn't get any more "real" than him.

But my original father's dad, Grandpa Anderson, has always held a special place in my heart. All of my grandparents have and I don't mean to belittle any of the relationships that I had with any of them. I was blessed to have 4 sets of grandparents. My dad and mom's and Jim's parents and his first wife's parents. Make sense!? We were a "brady bunch" sort of family - totally meshed together and were blessed enough to be welcome and accepted as "one of our own". Ohhhh....I am so rambling. I just want any and all that read this to realize how lucky and special I feel to have been blessed with such a HUGE family.

So 2 weeks ago I got the call about my Grandpa Anderson. He was 93, a farmer and what an honorable, incredible man. If I started to even try to describe him - well, I'm afraid that this entry would turn into a small novel. He was a farmer, an honest man, a simple but incredibly loving man. He'd drive us around the farm in his old blue truck. He lived in town with my Grandma but often went out to the farm off our FM409 - is that right?

The time that I have had with my grandparents (all of my extended family) is such a treasured time. Do they even know how much I love them? How much each and every moment I had with them meant to me? My heart aches for those days when we were all young. to have those days back. I want things to stay the same - for them to be here forever.

This weekend we went to my parent's house. We were supposed to go up to Nebraska but my Grandpa (my mom's dad) fell and broke his hip last week and had a replacement surgery. We were planning to visit this week - to make the looooooooong drive up to Nebraska but after much ado - decided it was best to wait on our trip. Adding 2 young children to an already stressful situation can only make things worse. Ah - there is so much I want to say. I need to make a separate entry about each trip.

So now, a mere 2 weeks later, my other Grandpa is nearing death. I hate this. I HATE this. He is old, 89 years and so very weak. He needs to go but my selfish being wants to cling to him. To hold him and never let go. I guess I'm afraid that all of the memories will go with him. I've known this day will come but my heart is still breaking. I'm falling apart...I'm barely breathing... so goes the song by Lifehouse that makes me fall apart every time I hear it. I am praying praying praying for my Grandpa as he nears death. Oh God, please be with him, take away his pain. I want to see him in Heaven. I pray vehemently that his heart's faith is in Jesus. I want to see him again.

So tonight, I take a break from life - to pray, to honor my sweet grandparents. Oh how I love them....down to my very bones...with all of my heart...all of my soul. I ache for them, but I am comforted in knowing that my heavenly Father is with them, now and I pray in the end.

I am not very "in your face" with my friends and family about my faith but I am not ashamed to say that I am a Christian. Recently I was tempted to say "Hey, everyone needs a little Jesus in their lives and when you are ready for Him - call me." I didn't say it, but well, maybe this is my opportunity. If you are my friend and you read my blog - I love you. You know my heart and if you need me, you'd better bet your butt I'm here for you.