Wild Thing(s), I Think I Love You

When it Rains, it Pours!

2009-12-07T08:42:00.001-08:00

My sister Suzanne encouraged me to start the tradition of taking the kid's photos with Santa each year. Every Christmas I get the framed pictures out from years past and the kids love to see themselves and I love to see how much they have grown. We usually go to the mall, but this year took them ourselves at our local neighborhood party. My camera started acting up and as you can see it was close to a disaster, but I am sure these photos will be fun to look at as well. So far, Will has never cried and Abby has cried every year.

Our "Winter Storm" as they reported all of the warnings on TV. The kids are so used to being in hot weather, they lasted about 5 minutes outside. I enjoyed getting to see a little snow and I am hoping we get to see a lot more in UT next week!

Nana and Paw Paw Dixon came to visit for Thanksgiving. Nana decided to match Abby for the afternoon festivities.

OK, I am going to try to update this little blog a little more often. I get behind and then don't really feel like catching up. Now I will just post a few pictures that capture what we have been doing most recently. Above are a few of our most recent ventures.

Oct. 2009

2009-12-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

This is how I found Abby after having "Quiet Time" with her big brother. She is usually the more feisty one, so I am guessing she was enjoying herself.

Buzz and an Alabama cheerleader!

Abby trying to sneak a little candy BEFORE trick or treating.

As you can see, she was only interested in the suckers.

Family Photo Shoot!

2009-12-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

Little Miss Sunshine

2009-08-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

Matt often gets home late, so we went to check on Abby one night at like midnight and she popped right up, crazy hair and all.
Our tribute to MJ. RIP. Not sure what we are going to do with this hair as she grows older.

Abby was very sad that her brother got to go on a play date and she wasn't invited.

Feeding herself

With a fork and a spoon. She is a little more independent than Will. He would still love for me to feed him if I would.

Hill Cousins in UT!

2009-08-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

This is how I found Will in the middle of the night

Cousin Allie

Cousin Anna Grace

Sundance and Suzanne's Sandbox

2009-08-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Abby pretending to put sand in her mouth.

She did it.

Then she kept putting her sandy hand in her mouth to
get the rest out.

Hunter and Will at Sundance.

View from the lift at Sundance

TaOS

2009-08-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Josh, Will, and Ellie

The view from our rental house in Taos.

Happy 4th Everybody!

2009-08-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Abby kept tripping on her dress as she was playing on the playground, so we had to tuck it into her bloomers.

Abby and her cousin Josh at Grandma's house.

OK, so these are a little late, I know. I am trying to get better at this and if I can just catch up, I think I can do it. In July Matt's family gathered for a family reunion in Taos, NM. It was Great Grandma Martinez' birthday. We had a wonderful time, although Matt had to leave early and get back to work.

Will Clowning Around!

2009-06-04T12:52:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, I proceeded to get Will dressed to go to a baptism. I put this shirt (a garage sale find from Jan) on him and then he ran off to see Matt. Upon returning to his room, he told me that he had a secret. He knelt down and whispered, "I kinda look like a clown." I couldn't stop laughing, but I assumed his Daddy had told him to say that. Turned out, these were just Will's thoughts. So...I guess I won't make him wear this one again, although he didn't complain. He just thought it was funny, but said he "would like to keep his clown shirt."

Running with the whole "clown theme", Will wanted to learn to "jiggle" as he phrased it.

Will at the end of the year preschool party

Little Buzz...probably will see this one again at Halloween (another Jan find)

Children's Museum in Houston

Easter in Bama!

2009-06-04T12:47:00.001-07:00

I am on a Roll, Sorry!

2009-06-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

OK, so I don't know if anyone is actually checking this, but JUST IN CASE, I will try to update it a little more frequently. The kids are doing well. Abby is now 15 months and just went to the Dr. She was 74th in height and 41st in weight. She is now almost grown out of the baby stage and is our little toddler who runs wild around the house and loves copying her big brother. Will is about 3 1/2 and just finished his first year of preschool. He loved it and can't get enough play time with other kids. He is a very chatty one to say the least.

This summer we are headed to Taos, NM to visit Matt's grandmother and then we will go up to Utah for about a week. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends while there. This sounds like a xmas card, so on to the pictures.

Below are a few pics of one of the wild ones, little miss abigail. Although she only says a few words, she is full of personality and LOVES people. Every morning, she wants to put on a bow and loves to wear shoes. As you can see, some of the ones she brings match and many do not.

Cookie Time with Dad!

2009-06-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the kids helped Matt make cookies. Abby was a little disappointed to have her cookie batter taken from her though. She is such a happy little girl...with a few tantrums here and there.

Our Return to the "Mother Ship"

2008-12-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas last year, Matt told one of the partners at the firm that we were headed back to UT for the holidays, and her reply was "Oh, you are returning to the Mother Ship." I guess that is true with most LDS people. Utah has become my 2nd home although I haven't forgotten my roots in Bama. Speaking of Alabama, they are playing UT in the Sugar Bowl...if anyone wants to meet us in New Orleans on Jan. 2nd. We are hoping to get tickets, although I think I would rather stay home then take two kids to the game...so again, if anyone knows any sitters in New Orleans, I would be interested!

Instead of going to Ut for xmas, we decided to take a trip back in November. My mom flew here first and was able to fly out there with us. I insisted that we fly S. West and should have been more careful when picking flights. Our flight went through Oakland and we were on the plane for 6.5 hours. It didn't say where we were flying through online, so I was pretty much in tears as I looked at my children upon learning we were going to be on the plane TOGETHER for that long. I looked at Will and said, "Mommy is worried and sad. I need you to be really good on the plane." Will's reply was, " I am going to be really bad, mom...you sad?" We finally made it to UT and all I can say was that I guess the kids could have been worse. While there, we were able to be present for my brother in laws surprise 39th birthday party, my mother in law's birthday dinner, my nephew's baby blessing, and my nieces baptism. Unfortunately, I thought I left the stove on and ran home during the "talk" portion of the baptism. It turned out the teenagers didn't show up for their talks and therefore I missed the baptism. Things like that seem to happen a lot in my life. It was a pretty jam packed visit. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone and we have already planned a trip to come back out in Jan. I was going to wait a little while longer, but then I found tickets for $125 round trip and that included taxes, so I couldn't resist.

We are excited, however, to have our first Christmas in our own house. Matt's sister, Tammy, is coming to visit and on the 26th we are headed to San Antonio for a few days. We are hoping to spend one day at Sea World and the other's on the River Walk, the Alamo, and hopefully shopping at the outlets. I just got a very part time job at Pottery Barn, so I am looking forward to the outlets there.

Abby is now cruising ALL AROUND THE HOUSE and can stand on her own for about 3 seconds on a good day! She in now 9.5 months old and at her 9 month check up, she was in the 50th % for weight, I think around 50% for height and 30% for head circumference. She especially loves trash cans and bathrooms. She is still such a sweet little baby. The other day, we were telling Will that "DUDES" are boys and that "DUDETTES" are girls. He was ok with the boy part, but he said that we should think of another name for girls. He then told me that we were going to call girls "sweethearts." Will is still a fun and energetic little boy. He is almost always happy, but is still a little hard to manage in open spaces..malls, airports, etc. We love them both dearly. Sorry this sounds like a Christmas letter. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

November trip to Utah!

2008-12-08T12:45:00.001-08:00

Happy Late Halloween!

2008-12-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little late, but I guess late is better than never, right? Our Halloween was pretty low key. My mom flew in that day and we had plans to go to the Trunk or Treat at church, but since our church is about 25 min. away and given the fact that Matt didn't get home from work until 6:30, we decided to just take him around our neighborhood. Will was pretty fascinated with the whole idea, but we had to keep reminding him not to say, "Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet." I apparently must have said that a few days before Halloween. Abby was happy just holding her one candy wrapper for the entire 45 minute stretch.

"Look at My Cute Girl" was what Will said when he saw these. He then, holding his crayons, asked if he could color her.

2008-10-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Old McDonald Farm

2008-10-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Will's preschool was held at the Old McDonald Farm. It was a lot of fun to see all of the animals up close. I have to admit though, I was a little surprised that they would let small children in a pretty small pin with a giant cow. It looked like a law suit waiting to happen...but I guess nothing has happened yet. They had deer, peacocks, goats and other animals running around in the open. Abby also had a great time looking at all of the people. Speaking of Abby, she is ALMOST crawling. She is doing really well and can make her way a few about 4 feet across the room.

Will's 3rd Birthday Party!

2008-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

At Will's birthday party, I was reminded of a time in the Dominican Republic when I was out in the ocean during the whale season. We finally spotted a huge whale and it jumped up in the air creating the perfect shot...it was then that my camera batteries died. Well, that actually happened to me again at Will's birthday party. As soon as everyone arrived and the party started, my batteries died. I hope my friend Nannette was able to get a few more pictures from the actual party, but here are a few of mine. We decided to throw a dual party for Will and a cute little girl named Ellie. It was pretty easy considering their birthdays fall so close to Halloween. (I am trying to redeem myself from Will's original cake picture with our Halloween cupcakes).

A few of our latest pics!

2008-10-14T07:50:00.001-07:00

Flabby Abby made the cheer squad!

This is Will after preschool. He had a book thrown at him, so his nose was a little sore.

Well, we are now back in Houston and I can't believe how fast the time is flying by. The kids are growing like crazy. Will just turned 3 and is "almost" potty trained. At times, I think he is regressing at the potty training, but he is doing pretty good. He is still a wild and happy little boy. He loves his baby sister and is really sweet to her. Abby is also growing at a rapid pace also. She is almost 8 months old. She can now wave pretty well, sit up by herself and is almost crawling, but not yet. She is also a really happy baby.

The Storm!

2008-10-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

Luckily we were still able to get out of the drive way because this tree didn't fall all the way to the ground.

You can't tell from this top picture, but this tree could have left a pretty big dent in our house... obviously. It fell about 10/15 feet from our house.

News from Huntsville, AL!

2008-09-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Thanks for all the notes. Sorry it has taken me awhile to write. We are doing fine. The storm was pretty strong, but we made it through with just lots of tree damage. We had a 75 ft. tree fall right beside our house, but didn't hit it. We are very grateful for that. Matt, the kids and I all headed up to Huntsville to stay with my parents on Sunday. As of today, we still have no power, but are hoping to return some time next week. Matt arrived in Houston today to go back to work. I will post a few pictures when I get back home.

Hurricane Ike!

2008-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

So...we decided to stay and ride out the hurricane. It wasn't a decision that we took lightly, we just had to weigh our options and listen to the advice that others were giving us. We live in Spring, TX...which is about 25 miles north of downtown Houston. They are telling our area to stay put so that there would be more room on the freeway for people that were closer to the water to get out. I am sure there were other reasons too, but our biggest threat right now will be high winds (90-100 mph), flooding (which wouldn't be like Katrina). We are just hopeful that there won't be any water that enters through the doors...and besides we have flood insurance if a little water were to leak in. We also could be facing broken windows or falling trees. Most of our ward decided to stay. The other worry that we all have is no power and water. The power could just be out a few hours or maybe one- two weeks. This sounds a lot scarier as I write it. Anyways, there is also a good chance nothing will happened. The fast moving storm should pass by us between 3-6 a.m . on Sat. morning. If our power stays out for too long, I will probably head to Alabama until we get it back.

On that note, keep us in your prayers. We are filling up bins and buckets of water to have on hand and we have plenty of food to last us a few days. I will post when we have power again. We aren't too worried. In fact, Matt just took Will to the pool with a few other dads, who were all of work today.

Will's First Day of Preschool!

2008-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

This week my mom has been in town to help while Matt flew to the U of U/Michigan game. She has been a tremendous help and Will just can't get enough. He especially likes the "Look and Find" books and they have read them about a million times. My mom keeps hiding them around the house, but Will continues to find them. He has now named them his "hiding books." The first pictures were of our last trip to Krogers. Will being able to push his own grocery cart was fun for the first 5 minutes and then I ended up pushing the little cart around the entire store because he was "all done." I guess we won't be trying that again anytime soon.

Well, today was Will's first day of preschool. I think he is going to really enjoy it. Upon entering the house where the preschool is held, Will went directly upstairs and joined the other kids before I could even say by to him and wish him well. When I ask him what he did today, he replies, "I don't know", but I think he had fun. And Yes, we know he needs a haircut.

Other than that, not too much has happened in our lives. Abby went for her 6 month apt. and now weighs about 17 1/2 lbs. She is 75th for weight, 50th for height and 90th for head circumference. As Suzanne said at Hunter's Dr. visit, "So let me get this straight, you are telling me I have a short, heavy baby with a big head." We love our sweet little Abby and she has really been such a joy with her easy going personality. Also, today, I got a job at Pottery Barn. Considering I can hardly ever work, I am super excited. Matt asked how much I was getting paid and I told him that I forgot to ask...minor detail. It should be fun and it will be nice to get out of the house every once in awhile.

Happy 6 Month Birthday!!

2008-08-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little Abby is growing up super fast. She has gone from my docile little baby who only wanted to nurse to my silly little girl who rolls all around the house....ALL IN A WEEK! She now takes a bottle occasionally and eats solids as quickly as possible. She even cries for a few seconds when the jar is empty. She especially loves the bananas and sweet potatoes, as we all can imagine. She now also loves to be entertained. She can't get enough of her toys and could start at Will, as he runs around the house, for hours. She goes to the Dr. tomorrow, so I will post her stats then.

My little twinsies

2008-07-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Unlike a few others, we don't really care if Will plays with girl toys, little pet shops, or wears pink shirts occasionally (Matt has a few oh his own, pink shirts that is). Anyways, so the other day Will found these socks that were for Abby. He loved them and kept telling his dad that they were boy socks. So, these are my matching little babies. And just another FYI, Will does wear pants occasionally. It is just a little quicker to go pantless sometimes with potty training. As you can see, our little Abby is growing so fast...she is such a joy to be around.

From the life of a child!

2008-07-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

O.K., so I don't really have much to say on these blogs. First, I am a little shy and second, my days just consist of changing diapers, nursing, and negotiating with a 2 year old. Even I need a break sometimes though...maybe to take a shower, talk on the phone or fix a meal. Not to mention, we are lucky to have Matt home at 8 p.m. on a good night. Therefore, WE have become fans of various kid's shows. Will's latest favorite is "Max and Ruby." I was trying to find a clip for you and I didn't realize that Youtube would have a few tapings of the show, however, they were either someone with a horrible moving camera pointed at the t.v. or it was dubbed over with dirty words. I chose to keep looking and found a clip that is pretty long, so unless you have kids, I doubt you will be watching it. I think you can get the idea in the first three seconds though. Anyways, Will has started talking like Max. I guess you could say he is regressing in the language department. Not really, but it is a little weird. He walks around with one word phrases and repeats them in a "max like" voice. I tried to get a video tape of him after he went potty, reaching for his "reward" candy. It didn't turn out that great, but you can get the idea. Also, that is not Will's room, it's Abby's and probably the only clean room in the house, because she can't mess it up yet. Oh, and sorry, you may have to pause the (somewhat annoying) music that is on the side to hear any video.

Abby- 4 months

2008-07-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Abby is now a little over 4 months old. She had her check up this week and is a "healthy" little girl. She weighed 15.7 lbs (91%) and 24.5'' (I think around 52nd%). They didn't write the stats down for me. She continues to be a little joy to be around. She is starting to laugh when tickled or when watching her brother. She is also able to now play in her exersaucer and can roll over (at times) if she is in the mood. She is still a great sleeper and sleeping until about 7 or 8 in the morning. We are going to start her on solids this week, which will hopefully help alleviate a little of my pressure having to nurse baby Abby.

Young William!

2008-07-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

For the fourth of July, the kids and I went to see my parents and sister in Alabama. I forgot to actually take any "4th" pictures, but we did have a pretty good time. My mom's house is filled with garage sale toys and Will had a great time rum aging through the house and exclaiming, "I take this home too, Mommy." By the end of the trip, he was calling his grandparents, "Nana Mommy" and "Paw Paw Daddy". He loved having all of the extra attention and my dad took him to do lots of fun things (which I will post once I get the pictures).

Will and all of his "friends". He could play with his little stuffed animals for hours. Will is actually a pretty happy kid, but has a LOT of energy. I think I am going to have to start sitting in with him during nursery at church. There is a little girl in there that he loves playing with and can't seem to sit still when they are together. They hold hands, run around in circles and just giggle...very loudly. I think the teacher is getting a little stressed, so we are going to have to try to start being reverent (during certain activities)at home and hope that transitions into church.

Will and Abby are both growing up so fast.
Will loves playing with cars, swimming at the

pool, and unfortunately watching anything on

T.V. I think he is really enjoying having a little
sister. We started potty training this week and I guess it is going o.k. I don't really see how people can go anywhere and get anything done while doing this. Other than that, he is doing o.k. Only one major accident thus far. He is doing well on the reward system and never forgets a promised treat.

Tid Bits about the Kids

2008-06-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

First, this probably is one of those things that you really had to be there to appreciate, but the other day Will, Abby and I were leaving the pool. I had just dressed him in his regular clothing and asked him to carry my key chain (with the keyless entry). Anyways, I was about 5 feet in front of him and apparently he was a little distracted. As I turned my head to look at him, he walked straight into the pool. He was pretty upset, but now he too thinks it was funny.

Also, little Abby slept through the night for the first time last night. It was about 12 hours, which should have been nice for me, but my body is not used to going that long without nursing. Anyways, she is growing up so fast and is really such a happy baby. She makes me think I could actually have a few more of these little ones....not for a while though.

Following in Jan's footsteps!

2008-06-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Shelley and I decided to follow in my mom's footsteps and try our hand at garage sailing. At first, I was a little disappointed because we weren't finding very many things, but after driving all around Spring, TX, we managed to fill up the whole car. (Mat was really excited about having more crud around the house). It was great. I found lots of "Little People" items for $1.00 and then a little car for $6.00. Will had a great time playing with all the toys and when it was Daddy's turn to wash his car, Will wanted to try his hand at washing his own car.

My mom would be proud!

PS...I wish I wasn't in the picture, but oh well.

Will trying to copy Abby

2008-06-05T07:35:00.001-07:00

Will decided that he would also like to show how he can roll over.

Abby

2008-06-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

This morning, I laid Abby on her tummy and she quickly began rolling over. After a few attempts of me trying to learn how to use the camera, I finally got it on tape

Crabby Abby

2008-06-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Abby is now 3 months old and is as good as can be. She is such an easy baby and we feel so blessed to have her in our little family.

Children's Museum

2008-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

We recently joined the children's museum in downtown Houston. Will has had a great time running around to all of the different exhibits. Here are a few pictures of little Felizandro in "Little Mexico".

Amanda's Wedding

2008-05-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Matt's sister Amanda was married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 9, 2008. The kids had a great time running wild at the reception.

Trip to Utah

2008-05-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone enjoys our little family blog. Recently, we went out to Utah to attend Matt's sisters wedding. While there, we also blessed baby Abby. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She will be 3 months next week.