Such a boy!

Parker is definitely keeping us on our toes these days! He runs everywhere, climbs on everything, throws anything in his hands and LOVES to watch his daddy do anything outside! James is building a desk (more like a drafting table) and Parker was right there to help this afternoon. It was really cute to watch Parker be such a big "helper"! ;)

Parker babbling James's ear off. He was letting daddy know exactly how to do it!

Something about boys and tools...they just go together! :)

Cute

Parker kept running out of the garage into the backyard to harass Waco...poor dog. She kind of tucks her tail and runs for the hills when she sees Parker!

He plays with her toys...

and even drinks her water.

Don't worry, I jumped up and caught him before he got his face in it!!

A Must Do Situation!

Hurry!! Go to the grocery store, get in your kitchen and make THIS chicken tortilla soup! It is from the Pioneer Woman's cooking blog and it's divine goodness!! I made it for dinner last night and we couldn't get enough of it. It's so easy and you can garnish it a thousand ways! I added rice to ours because James likes "thicker" soups and then I put diced green onion, diced avocado, sour cream and cheese on top! YUM!!!! You must make this soon! :)

And now for some cuteness! My little man LOVES to vacuum the floors just like his mama! When I ask Parker if he wants to vacuum, he runs to the closet door where it's stored and stands there banging on the door until I get there. Then, as I go around vacuuming, he has to push something around as well. He rotates between three different push toys in the time it takes me to vacuum the whole house! Maybe his wife will appreciate his love of vacuuming one day! ;)

So excited mommy got the vacuum out!!

Making sure everything is connected.

Following me with his lion.

Moving on to the grocery cart to keep up with mommy!

Upset that I am putting it away. He cries when it goes back in the closet!

Yesss!

News flash...Amarillo just got a new frozen yogurt place called Frazzleberry! Ever since we moved here I've been waiting patiently on a yogurt place to arrive. I was obsessed with TCBY all through college and when we lived in Dallas there was one close to our house.

Then we moved to the end of the Earth, I mean Amarillo...just kidding...and we have not had a yogurt place until NOW!! We went yesterday afternoon with some friends and it was awesome! No pics, too busy eating yummy yogurt and watching two toddlers become covered in chocolate! :)

Cold days

I don't know about you, but January and February are the coldest, slowest, and most non-eventful months of the year for us. I'm not complaining, just saying that there's not a whole lot going on around our house. It's so stinkin cold outside, so we've been having lots of fun inside with new Christmas toys! I think we've also hit up every place in Amarillo that has an indoor play area this week! Thank goodness for sweet friends who like to meet up and play with us!

My little busy body!

Mema and Papa (great-grandparents) gave Parker this awesome tent with a tunnel that goes with it. Since every room in our house has been over taken with toys, I set the tunnel part up in the guest bedroom just to see how he would like it. He will look inside the tunnel but refuses to go through it. I even wiggled my way through it to show him how you come out the other end...nope. We are working on this, maybe by Spring he will overcome his fear and go in! :) He does think it's fun to throw all his trucks inside of it and then watch mommy crawl in and get them out!

"I see you mom, but I'm not gettin' in there!

He is obsessed with stacking blocks.

This is right before nap time, he likes to sleep without his britches!

Making a phone call on his toy phone.

A look back at 2010

I know this is a bit late, but I do this more for my own scrapbooking purposes, so years from now I can go back and enjoy some memories and God's wonderful blessings! I remember when I was pregnant with Parker, people told me to enjoy every single phase because time flies, they weren't kidding!! It's AMAZING how fast a year goes by! A quick look back at a very busy 2010...

JANUARY

Just a flat out cold month in Amarillo, TX. Not much to do but bundle up and play in the snow!

FEBRUARY

Still bundled up, also a very cold month...a highlight to this month was a visit from mom and dad!! Parker was just learning to crawl in this month.

MARCH

Parker and I escaped the cold and headed to warmer Dallas for mom's Spring break week! We had a fun and warm week, these pics are at the Arboretum.

APRIL

We had a very fun weekend at the Hickman's ranch with Brad and Heidi and Shane and Brie. We also celebrated Easter in Dallas!

MAY

Our little buddy turned one!! We had so much fun celebrating his very first birthday! Ryan, Carrie and Leah along with Mema and Pap joined mom and dad in coming out the ranch for the big celebration with the rest of the family! It was a special weekend.

Parker dove face first into his cake!

JUNE

Mom, dad and Lindsey came out to the ranch to play for a week, always a highlight in the summer!

JULY

The 4th was celebrated playing at the ranch! Parker and I also made a trip to Dallas and spent a week there...I got to go see the Rangers play early in their World Series season!! Then we sweated it out in Missouri at Kanukuk and Big Cedar!

July 4th weekend...lots of swimming and frisbee golf!

Hot, humid Kanukuk

One of my favorite places to be...on a boat!!

AUGUST

What a busy month...James and I left Parker for the very first time while we set sail on a Caribbean cruise. When we returned, I celebrated my 30th birthday with my sweet birthday club girlfriends and then Parker and I went to Madison, MS with Brie and Heidi!

SEPTEMBER

We celebrated our last hurrah of summer at the ranch over Labor day weekend. Then Neesie and Grandad came up for a fun visit!

We also went to Colorado Springs to the Broadmoor.

OCTOBER

Mom and dad came out to the ranch to play for a weekend. Parker was a cow for Halloween and got very into the role of trick or treating!

Trick or treating with Jack the lion at the law firm!

NOVEMBER

We had our first snow fall of the year and had a very relaxing Thanksgiving at the ranch!

DECEMBER

We started off with my cousin Kristen's wedding and ended with a fabulous Christmas celebrated with both families! AND we found out that Parker hates Santa! :)

Christmas in Dallas!

Whew, what a week we had last week! We had so much FUN in Dallas that we are having to take this week to rest up and get back in the groove of things! We had a blast shopping at North Park of course, seeing movies, eating out and spending some great quality time with the family! Thanks mom and dad for making last week such a treat for us! I think my parents need a vacation from Christmas vacation as Parker kept them super busy! ;) He is a full blown, active, all over the place toddler and we couldn't love him more!!

Starting off the week with a visit from Dede!

Monday morning we hit up North Park for the sales! Dad did an awesome job keeping Parker entertained at the "sliding planters" as I call them!

Leah even came out to join in on the fun!

By the end of it, Parker was pooped! Leah's like, "why are you just lying there"??

Love my sweet niece!

Neesie and Grandad gave Parker a bb goal for Christmas, P and L had SO much fun making baskets!

Sisters

We had our family Christmas Tuesday night once James came into town!

His very first choo choo train!

All the "kids"

Wednesday morning I met one of my precious Baylor roomies at the Galleria! Ashley has two little girls, Anna and Rachel, that Parker got to play with.  I'm leaving out the part about Parker throwing a tantrum in the middle of the mall on the floor...just picture lots of kicking and screaming and a sweet old woman coming over to me offering him a cookie.  :)  Fun times!  I'm glad Ash was there to give me an understanding look while I stood there and waited it out.  Is it possible to enter the "terrible two's" BEFORE they are two??

Birthday hugs to daddy on his 31st birthday!! I hate that I didn't get anymore pics on James's birthday, we did get to go out on a date night while Neesie and Grandad babysat!

This kid can make the shots...future basketball player??

Uncle Ryan and Parker

Parker loves to give kisses!

Leah practicing her driving! :)

And here we are back at North Park Friday morning...thankfully Parker was entertained by the fountain while we shopped some.

I did get to meet up with a sweet friend, Carroll, while we were there. She has a 2 year old, Anna, and is expecting a baby boy in March! Carroll and I went to Baylor, taught at Bradfield together and were in the same Sunday school class at Park Cities, she and Casey were such great friends to us while we lived there!

Parker was so happy to see Anna!

All boy!

They had so much fun running around together! Parker even did some "landscaping" for North Park while we were there. He uprooted some grass and plants that are planted around the little duck pond, awesome.

Me with mom and dad

The whole fam celebrated New Year's Eve at Mi Cocina...a favorite Mexican restaurant!

The "kid" end of the table...some pretty pictures were colored during dinner, that is,until Parker had a complete meltdown in the restaurant. James and I were quickly reminded why we never eat out with Parker! :) It was still fun being together with the fam though!

Carrie, Ryan and James

These two had more fun together! Neesie and Grandad babysat both one night and here they are eating Ritz crackers, a most favorite snack!!

THANKS mom and dad for such a memorable and fun week!!