It's Been a Year

It has now been one year since Derek has been home from Iraq. There really aren't words to express how thankful I am. It's amazing how fast this year has flown by versus how slooooowly the year he was gone crept by. I'll never again take for granted a goodnight kiss or my hand being held while watching a movie or belly laughing about something silly with my best friend or sharing a holiday together as a family. It is so easy to take those things for granted until you are in a situation like deployment. At that point, I realized how silly arguments can be and how you really are never promised that next moment. So, go give that husband of yours a big hug, kiss and tell him you love him. It's so nice to have the opportunity to do that! :)

While Derek was in Iraq, he did get to see some fascinating sights, and some from Biblical times. I thought I would share them with you in honor of our one year anniversary.

I love that they painted a Razorback on the top of the hanger in honor of our favorite team, the Arkansas Razorbacks!

Oldest arch in the world

Tower of Babil (see the guy on the top?)

Flying in Iraq

Derek's unit from Arkansas

And, I thought this summer in Arkansas was hot. It was this hot most days in Iraq. Can you see it says 130 degrees?

Derek at the House of Abraham. This was one of the sights he was most excited to see.

Ziggurat

Ishtar gate

Lion sculpture in Babylon

A street in Babylon

Amphitheater in Babylon

Baghdad from the air

Handsomeness by his aircraft

Labor of Love Day

What a terrific weekend. I started it out with dinner on Friday night with my "besties" (as my friend, Tina's, daughter calls it). We had a delicious dinner at PF Chang's and just an overall great time.

Saturday I spent most of the day organizing, ironing, and pricing clothes for an upcoming resale event. I do this twice a year. I sell things that Evan and Ella Grace have outgrown and use that money to buy them new clothes for the upcoming season. They also take furniture, so I will be selling the crib (whaaaa!) and the chest that matches. I'm kind of sad, but I am so excited about Ella Grace's new room that it's ok. It is a lot of work gathering everything and pricing it all, but in the end very worth it. Not only do I make a few dollars to support my Gymboree habit (ha!), but I also clean out closets, which is the best feeling!

Clothes ironed, tagged and ready.

You know how it is. Children won't be interested in something for months, but when you get it out to get rid of it, they are all of the sudden wanting to play with it or wear it. Ella Grace, being the fashionista she is, loved this hat and mitten set of Evan's. However, she prefered the mittens on her feet. LOL! Oh, and I do realize her outfit doesn't match. Her Daddy dressed her. :)

Sunday Evan spent a lot of time outside while Derek cleaned out the flower beds. I stayed inside working on my sale project and Ella Grace took a long nap. That evening we took the kids to the Jump Zone and they had THE best time. It's amazing what happens in just a couple of months. EG was sliding all by herself! It was amazing (not to mention I held my breath a couple of times). After all the jumping, we went to eat at the Purple Cow and had a really nice dinner.

Evan is a pro!

Ella Grace wanting to be like her brother and go by herself.




All by herself!

After dinner, baths and kids in their beds, Derek and I tackled Ella Grace's room. We cleaned it all out and got busy painting her room pink! By 3:00 a.m. we are all done and covered in paint. LOL! I am in love with the color (I just adore pink anyway). Derek also got Ella Grace's new bed put together and it is super cute. Now, I am just waiting on the bedding to come in and my childhood chest to be painted and the room will be complete.

Today, we aren't doing much. We are just playing and spending family time and trying to recover from staying up until 3:00 a.m. We're too old for all that! Ha! E & EG are still in their pajamas and it is noon! :) Now, that's my kind of day. I hope you and yours are having a fantastic Labor Day!

Fallin' in Love with Fall

I have never been a huge fan of Fall. Gasp! I am a Summer kind of girl, and Fall to me has always symbolized the end to everything about Summer I love...the beach, swimming pools, the park, suntans, green trees, green grass, watermelon, etc., etc. Plus, I can't stand to be cold. However, as I get older, I am finding myself enjoying Fall more and more. This could be due in part to the fact that having a savage tan is no longer my number one priority since I had children, and I am also finding myself looking forward to a break from all of the heat.

Fall does have one of my favorite holidays of Thanksgiving, but I have never been a fan of Halloween EVER. Even when I was a child, I can remember enjoying getting dressed up in a costume, which were always something we created on our own from things around the house, but I always ended up frightened while going trick-or-treating. To this day, Halloween is still not my favorite, but I am starting to at least like it a bit more. It is fun picking out costumes for Evan and Ella Grace. We usually go to a festival at church or just go trick-or-treating to the grandparents house, so there is nothing scary, just Evan and EG showing off their costumes and racking up on candy. Here they are last Halloween. Evan was a fighter pilot and Ella Grace was a fairy.

I have actually already ordered and received their costumes for this year. I have kind of shocked myself by already having this accomplished! Evan will be a doctor and Ella Grace will be a pumpkin.So, I think I am warming up to Fall and all it brings. I am looking forward to cooler weather, jeans and long sleeves, hot chocolate, and taking E & EG to the pumpkin patch and for a hay ride. I even told Derek was looking forward to football this year, and he about fell out! I think his exacts words were, "Uh uh. Really?" Ha!

Just Your Average Every Day Hero

Last night, Derek got called into work to rescue a man that had crashed his hang glider into a tree. He was about 40 feet off the ground and the park in which he was gliding could not reach him. So, they called in the National Guard and Derek and a few others went to get him. Derek was flying the helicopter in this clip (he is the bright spotlight). His missions are medevac and include a crew member going down a hoist to rescue people, which is how they got the man out of the tree. They also did this countless times during Hurricane Katrina, rescuing evacuees from the tops of their homes.

Speaking of heroes, the other one in my house, Evan (I believe anyone who has to manage autism every day is a hero of the largest proportion), got a special delivery. All of us Hortons received our shirts for the Tennessee walk in support of autism from Lauren, Meagan and Megan. How cute are these shirts and the little people in them...



Thank you to all of you who have given to this cause that is so close to my heart in honor of my Evan. We are so close to our goal. If you would still like to contribute, you can click on Megan, Meagan and Lauren's picture in the top right corner. Thank you for helping us kick autism in the rear! And, thank you Meagan, Megan and Lauren for the SUPER cute shirts. I don't think I could ever be more proud to wear anything! Love you girls!

I leave you tonight with what I found Ella Grace doing when I went in her room to get her picture. She learned to do "monkey arms" at Gymboree on the monkey bars, but I guess the side of a crib works, too.

I hope you are all having a GREAT week! Lots of love!

Lucky Me

I'm so lucky because Saturday my sweet friend, Kelly, drove about three hours to come see me and some other friends for a visit. Our friend, Kandi, and I met her at Mimi's (of course) for lunch. We had the best time visiting, laughing about old times (some things I don't even remember...ha), and talking about what's new with our families, especially what's new with Kelly, Scott, and Harper!

I've decided Kelly is the cutest mom to be I have ever seen.

Me, Kelly, and Kandi

This is Kandi and her family. I've decided this is what happens when Barbie marries Ken and they have kids! Ha! Just a beautiful family!

I had the best time shopping for a little something for Baby Harper. I found this frame that I loved. I loved it so much I ordered another one for Ella Grace's new room.

Thank you so much for coming to see us, Kelly. I loved every minute of it!

22 Months

It's hard to believe my Ella Grace is months from turning two years old, but for today, she is just 22 months and I'm holding on to every day.

EG is definitely the perfect mixture of sugar and spice. She is the sweetest little girl, but can throw in the sass in an instant! Ha! Here are few more things about my favorite girl:

• She uses sentences (up to five words) like, "I want apple juice please," or "I sorry Edan (Evan)."
• She asks questions like, "What's wrong Mama," (I'm kind of beginning to wonder why she is asking me this a lot...ha!) or "Where'd baby go?"
• As soon as Derek leaves in the morning, she announces, "Daddy workin'."
• She adores babies (real or baby dolls) and animals (real or stuffed).
• She loves green beans but will only eat them right out of the can or cold. I know!!!
• She is girly, girly loving make-up, purses, telephones, and clothes.
• She can put her shoes on herself, although they are almost always on the wrong feet. I don't change them though because she is so proud of herself.
• 
• She stalls when it is bedtime by asking to be rocked. I am never able to turn her down.
• She always wants to "show Evan" when she thinks she looks pretty or silly.
• She adores Evan and loves to chase him around the house.
• She is obsessed with owies and will point them out on herself or others.
  
• She is such a little momma (mostly to Evan, bless his heart).
• She loves to sing. Her favorites are "ABC's," "Barney's I Love You," "Wheels on the Bus, "Where is Thumbkin," and all the songs we sing while at Gymboree. Hearing her singing them is P R E C I O U S.
  
• She has used the potty once already! Yeah!

There is so much more to this precious child that I can't possibly put it all on this blog. I just want her to know she is so special to Daddy, Evan and me.

This is Evan's rocking chair, and she loves to get in it and rock herself or "Baby."

Here she is hanging with her peeps, "Buddit" and "Baby." You can see she got her first skinned knee last week. This was traumatic. She kept saying it was "broken."

"Pee pie" is still one of her favorite games. Here she is playing it with "Baby."

Happy 22 Months, Ella Grace! You make life fun! I you so much!

Speaking Spanish & a Sleeping Angel

Evan had another great day in Kindergarten today. I was so worried because he didn't eat his lunch yesterday, but he ate his entire lunch today. He is settling in just fine. I forgot to mention this yesterday, and I want to document it so I don't forget. When we saw one of his teachers on the first day of school yesterday. He said, "Good morning. Buenos Dias." His teacher was quite impressed. I'm telling you, watching Dora has payed off. Ha!

If you were wondering what an angel looks like when she is sleeping, here she is:

"Buddit," EG, and "Baby"

I also want to send a BIG congratulations to my sweet friend, Kelly, on finding out the wonderful news that Harper Brown is on her way. I am SO happy for you!