Bluebonnets - this is going to be a long post

If you are ever driving through Texas in the springtime, you will see the highways littered with parents taking pictures of their children in the amazing fields of bluebonnets that grow all over this state. The origin of this tradition of taking pictures of our kids in our state flower is unknown but from what I gathered from a quick Google search, it dates back to the 60's when first lady Lady Bird Johnson persuaded the Texas State government to seed bluebonnet and other wild flowers along the state highways and elsewhere around the state.
I was so excited to get to take Lori this year! We took advantage of Jorge having Good Friday off and made the "40 minute" trip up to Brenham, TX to take pictures of Lori. We got lost (and almost ran out of gas) on the way, which is somewhat hard to do considering that its RIGHT off the Highway... but we got there eventually, and it was worth it. (That is why I said "40 minute" trip... ours turned in to 90 minutes...)



We found a BEAUTIFUL field of bluebonnets and pulled over to join the other parents and families taking pictures. I'd guess there were close to 40 other families there, and you're about to see why... oh and I should mention that Bluebonnets smell as good as they look!

When Lori stands up on her own Jorge and I clap and cheer for her with much enthusiasm, in hopes of motivating her to walk sooner. So far it's only caused Lori to clap her own hands as a way of asking us to clap for her whenever she does anything... no matter how small... it's kinda cute.

Here she is encouraging us to clap for her...

















This one is one of my favorites... so pensive. (and no, it's NOT illegal to pick the bluebonnets... so she's ok.)


More clapping... and a good view of the field.

These are two of my favorites...

Our BEAUTIFUL, HAPPY girl!

Monogrammed bloomers, another Texas must!

After Jorge took some photos of Lori and me, I took some of them. My two FAVORITE people in the world!! They turned out great, if I do say so myself.







Jorge is so good with Lori, she just ADORES him too! Looking at these next few pictures makes me feel blessed!!















This one reminds me of Max from the book "Where the Wild Things Are"












But take a look at how much they look a like in
the next few pictures... it's amazing.

More standing and clapping...

and a family picture!

Thank you and congratulations for making it to the end of this post... dragging all of these pictures to where I wanted them took WAY too long, so I hope it was worth it! Thanks for reading!!

Rodeo time!

Everything is BIGGER in Texas! This includes the Rodeo. Every year Houston hold the largest Rodeo and livestock exhibition IN THE WORLD!! It's held in the Reliant Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans, and spills over in to the Reliant Center and the parking lot surrounding it. It's not just a rodeo and livestock exhibition, there is also a carnival and concerts every night.

For me, a girl from the suburbs, and Jorge, a boy from the city, it is quite an experience. This year we were given tickets from a family member in Houston (yes I have family in Houston) We would have stayed and seen Brooks and Dunn in concert but I figured getting my city boy husband to the rodeo at all was good enough, (baby steps...) and this way we were able to take Lori with us. She had a good time, a great time actually, she was so interested in all the people and animals that she wouldn't eat much.

She wasn't very excited about the Texas size turkey leg we got... or the Texas sized curly fries we got. (bottom right)

After lunch we made our way to the livestock exhibition, complete with shops, petting zoo, livestock auction and new this year, a birthing center! Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like, livestock (cows, sheep, goats and pigs) who are about to give birth, in one area. There were T.Vs mounted above the cages,a camera man roaming around to get live shots and bleachers so that people could sit and wait to see a live birth. (only in Texas) We missed the birth of a calf by seconds, as gross as it sounds, it was actually pretty neat. (I may have been in Texas too long!)



We also took Lori to the petting zoo, which she really enjoyed. She's always trying to "pet" our cat (more like grab) so to actually be able to touch an animal was like a dream come true!

After that we walked past all the livestock that's up for auction. Lori was able to pet a cow...

it was a BIG hit!!

Of course we couldn't leave the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with out trying something fried. They fry up pretty much EVERYTHING! Twinkies, Oreos, Moon Pies, Snickers, and M&M's (huh?) This year we tried the Oreos, and all in all, it wasn't half bad.

so on that note...
God Bless Texas!

Takin a stand and doing a dance!

I've mentioned before that Lori is not walking yet but is really really trying too! She wants so badly to be able to move much faster than she already can, which is hard to imagine since she's in to everything enough as it is! So far all she can do is stand up and take one or two steps.

Here is a video of her "taking a stand"




In previous posts I've posted video of Lori dancing. She has since perfected her technique! A month or so ago I was asked to record a track for our VBS CD, it has since become her favorite song, we'll be driving in the car with the CD on and once my track comes on she starts "dancing". It's quite flattering really.

Here is a video of her dancing to one my track, getting in to trouble with the toilet paper, and playing with her buddy Ryan!

Quilted fun!

About 4 years ago my friends and I threw a picnic bridal shower for one of our friends. When we got to the picnic spot my friend Samantha Sorbello whipped out this awesome quilt made out of jeans. The crafter in me went crazy! I knew that I was going to have to make one of these one day! Sam told us all that it was a wedding gift from her mother-in-law, that it was made from close to 20 pairs of jeans, and that she broke a lot sewing matching needles in the process.


I got the instructions from Samantha's mother-in-law not long after our picnic and haven'
t thrown out a pair of jeans since. It wasn't until the weather started to get nice that I decided that it was time to tackle this enormous project. Lori inspired me. She can't walk yet but she LOVES being outside so therefore I figured I'd make this HUGE (and I do mean HUGE) quilt so she can have a big enough space to crawl around on.

Well it took me 5 days, 14 pairs of jeans, 2 spools of yellow thread and 9 sewing machine needles but I DID IT!!



So far its been quite special. Lori took her first step while we were playing on it. She LOVES crawling and exploring the quilt, looking at all the seems and patches. (And trying to eat leaves...)





As usual Lori is all smiles! I can already tell that this summer is going to be really fun for us! She loves it so much I've decided to make it one of her birthday gifts... not that she'll really remember but it's the thought that counts right?

As much as she loves crawling around on the quilt, there is something about it that makes her want to try to walk. Like I said earlier, she took her first REAL step on the quilt and even though she's not walking yet she's getting closer and closer every day we play outside. Here's an action shot of Lori trying to stand up.

oh well... maybe next time!

COUSINS

On February 23d Lori and I flew out to California to meet my sister's baby!
Wyatt Browning Smith

He and I share a middle name which is super special... we're going to be good buddies!! I can tell!

Lori really didn't know what to think at first but after a while she really just couldn't get enough of him...

Here she is meeting Wyatt for the first time...

Cousins in the car, ready to go!

No trip to California would be complete with out a trip to In-N-Out Burger... Lori enjoyed the fries!

Me and the little guy...


Lori and Mommy

The progression of these next pictures makes me laugh...


Lori and her cousin...

poor Wyatt, in the right place at the WRONG time...
"
NO LORI, DON'T TOUCH!"

Notice she is a good distance farther away now... this is not on accident



Uncle Kent, Wyatt, Aunt Megan and Lori


There was one night that I was just SO beat from all the visiting that I got up after dinner and picked up Wyatt and we both fell asleep. When I woke up a few hours later this pi cture was on my camera... I'm really glad someone took it because it's such a special moment.


This is also one of my favorites...
When we were in CA we went to Trader Joe's and introduced Lori to "Buccaneer Joe's Unburied Treasure White Cheddar Corn Puffs... her new FAVORITE snack!! Megan, Lori and I ate half a bag in one sitting. :)
More of the little bubba...


this was a great day... but man, shopping with two strollers was ridiculous.


Grammy and "her" babies!

Another restaurant stop... our favorite Chicago pizza place, Patxi's

Lori got to try pizza for the first time... I think she enjoyed it! (That's my girl!)

These pictures I like to call "photo shoots should not be done before bedtime!"

but matching jammies are SO cute!!


Ok... I think that sums it all up... sorry for the long post!