On Board with the Barnards

way to long

2011-04-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long! My baby is almost grown! Knox is 10 months old now! I can't imagine having more than 2 kids...how do you keep up? Well, here is a look at the last 4 months in the life of Knox! ;)

6 months old

1st Christmas

7 months

8 months with big brother Nolan

Bathtime!

Our matching golf outfits!

9 months old

10 months...first swing at the park!

Happy 3rd Birthday Nolan!

2010-12-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it has been 3 years since that cold, rainy day when we welcomed our precious baby boy into this world. Its amazing the love that we instantly had for the little red head.

Nolan, you quickly became our pride and joy. Mommy and Daddy never thought we could love someone so much until we met you. You put a smile on our faces everyday. This year you have learned so much! You have learned to talk, count, your alphabet, many songs and you are even starting to write your name. You love Thomas the train and Buzz Lightyear. You love to watch movies and play with friends! Most importantly, this year you became a big brother. Nolan, you are the best big brother! Knox just laughs watching you run around in circles. You are such a blessing to all of us. I always tell people that God made you just for me because you love to hug me and make me feel good. You are the sweetest boy ever! (I'm glad Knox is learning from the best!) I can't wait to see what next year holds for us. We love you with all our hearts! Happy 3rd Birthday, baby! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

Buzz Lightyear and Woody had lots of fun dressing up this Halloween and attended several costume partys. Buzz loved showing off his laser and said "Trick or Treat" for the first time at Gigi and Papa's house. Woody was very laid back and just tried to take everything in on his 1st Halloween. Happy Halloween everybody!!!

Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story!

Buzz and Miss Piggy (cousin Emma Kaye)

Buzz Lightyear enjoying M&Ms!!

Uncle Chris and Woody!

Precious Woody!

Cousin's: Josey, Knox, Landry, and Nolan

Best Buds: Michael Simmons, Zane Turner, Nolan, and Maryn Simmons (Reid Cunningham was missing...had to go home early)

Erik, Nolan, Zane, and Jeff at Kooper's Pumpkin Patch

Nolan loving the John Deere!

Woody chillin'!

Mommy and Woody

Jumping with Aunt Emily in Aggieland!

Cousin's: Nolan, Molly, Ally, and Knox

Ally's 4th Birthday Party....a Fall Farm Fest!

Craft time at the party! Molly and Nolan coloring!

4 months old!

2010-10-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

LOVING LIFE AT 4 MONTHS OLD!!!

Sitting tall...this is my new trick and it just makes me laugh out loud!

After we say goodnight...

2010-10-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what goes on when I shut the door after saying goodnight to my 2 year old. Well, this should give me a clue. We have found him asleep with his cowboy hat on every night for the last 7 nights! I just can't help, but laugh! He is so stinkin' cute!! I love my little cowboy!!

TEXAS/ OU 2010!!!

2010-10-02T19:36:00.001-07:00

our litte longhorn family!

ben, courtney, me, and erik

BEFORE... fried corny dog, fried butter (gross!), fried frito chili pie (yum), and fried cookie dough (yum!)

Hook 'Em Horns!

TEXAS FIGHT!

Family Fun!

2010-09-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Erik turned 30 on August 26th!!! Happy Birthday Erik!!

His birthday cake reflected his hobbies...golf and anything UT!
Erik's Surpise Birthday Party...A big THANK YOU to Harold and Debbie for a GREAT party!!

Of course, Nolan had to help blow out the candles. He wanted a piece of cake from the moment he laid eyes on it!

Nolan playing at the park one day in the tunnel. We always play at the park while we wait on Daddy to finish running.

Knox was screaming at this point and Nolan thought it was "too loud", so he covered his ears!

Our Sweet Baby Knox was 3 months old on September 3rd!

What a sweet smile!

Daddy training him from Day 1...watching UT football and loving it!

Nolan and Knox in their cowboy hats. Knox was trying on part of his Woody halloween costume. Nolan just thought he needed his cowboy hat on too. Nolan calls it his "mowing hat", because he thinks Daddys bucket hat that he mows in looks like it.

First Day of School!

2010-08-25T19:31:00.001-07:00

Nolan's first day of school at First Christian! Excited to learn and meet new friends!

He walked down the hall all by himself with his little backpack on. He walked in the classroom and was excited to be there until Mommy and Daddy had to leave. He cried, but only for a few minutes. He was excited because his friends, Wyatt, Jadon, and Dawson are in his class!

I love my new backpack. I would wear it all day if Mommy would let me. My backpack is almost bigger than I am!

Waiting on Mommy and Daddy. Ready for the first day of school!

My sweet baby is growing up so fast!

Little Brother, Knox's, first day in the bumbo seat. I think he likes it!

Knox's 1st Swim

2010-08-15T12:33:00.001-07:00

Mommy and Knox

1st Swim Ever!

Daddy and Nolan

The Barnard Boys

Dada and Nolan

Getting ready for take off!

Taking off!

Landing!

Lil' Man trying to smile! Love's the pool!

Mommy, Knox, and Nolan

Our Lil' Weekend Getaway

2010-07-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Em and Geoff at the Oasis for dinner!

Jamey and Nicole!

Me and E!

Aww...how cute! Brother and Sister!

The Group:E, Me, Coey, Jamey, Em, and Geoff

Gotta love Peter Pan Putt-Putt...who's idea was that?? :-)

Em, Nicole, and myself

Another girls pic outside my favorite spot for breakfast in ATX. Love the banana pancakes. Yummy! Had them both mornings in Austin!

Jamey and Nicole at Saltlick. About to dig into some yummy BBQ.

Erik and I at Saltlick. At this point, we were starving. Waited an hour smelling the smoke off the BBQ pit. It was delicious!

Every year, Erik and I go to San Antonio to get away for a long weekend. This year we had nothing planned, because of obvious reasons...a new baby. Once we had Knox, everyone seemed to be going on vacation except for us. So, we planned a little getaway to Austin. We stayed at a friends house with Emily, Geoff, Nicole, and Jamey. We had so much fun! It was exactly what we needed. I got 2 full nights of sleep, got to lay out by the pool, go shopping in San Marcus, and eat at some great places. Had a great time! Thank you Mimi and Pops for keeping the boys!

Knox's 1st time to Church

2010-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today, Knox went with us to Church for the first time. He was absolutely perfect and didn't make a peep! He was introduced at the end of the service to our church family. He did great!

The first month!

2010-07-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast our precious little boy has grown in the last month. He is a strong little guy...always lifting his head. He was absolutely perfect the 1st 2 weeks, then he became fussy. We switched his formula and he seems to be doing a lot better. Big Brother Nolan is adjusting, but starting to want Mommy and Daddy to hold him while holding Knox. He is learning the hard way how to share his Mama and Dada.

Proud to be an American

2010-07-05T12:10:00.001-07:00

Nolan, Maci Rust, and Reid Cunningham at the parade!

Nolan did not like the sirens or horns! He kept lifting Eriks hands up over his ears!

My adorable niece, Ally, enjoyed sugar-coated strawberrys!

Nolan enjoying a round of golf in the parking lot of Dada's office awaiting fireworks!

Cousins: Ally, Molly, Knox,and Nolan---July 4, 2010!

Nolan preferred watching fireworks from inside. He didn't like the loud pop!

Knox enjoyed watching fireworks for the first time next to Uncle Geoff!

The Big Waxahachie Fireworks Show!

There is nothing like the 4th of July. I look forward to it every year. I don't know what it is exactly...the flags that line the streets, the proud spirit of being an American, family, friends, parade, cook-outs, fireworks, and Homemade Ice Cream!!! I love it all!

I'm back for now...

2010-06-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well, my sister-in-law, Emily, has inspired me to get caught up in the blogging world. We will see how long it lasts. Life is a little crazy right now. So let's get started...

This is what you missed...

March-

2nd-Took Nolan to the dentist for the 1st time. Horrible, horrible experience! Don't plan to go back for a long time. This inspired me to make sure his teeth get extra clean every morning and night. Nolan and I were both in tears when we left.

4th-Easter---Nolan loved hunting Easter eggs this year!!! In fact, we are still hunting eggs occasionally around the house.

April-

10th-Knox's Sprinkle-preparing for the arrival of Mr. Knox. The girls threw me a shower! Thank you all for everything!!

(From Left to Right: Nicole Barron, Gretta Simmons, Courtney Thompson, Me, Emily Myers, Carrie Carter, Sonja Turner, and Hillary Zandt)

16th-First trip to the zoo this year with Alex and Wyatt

24th - Our 6th Anniversary--Crazy how time flys. We had our 1st date, prom, 12 years ago from this night.

Obviously, not our anniversary, because I was way pregnant then. I am actually pregnant here, but only Erik knows. :-)

May-

Weekly doctors appointments that were pointless and depressing. :-) I hated that scale by the end of it all!!

20th- Mother's Day Out Program. Our little Tiger, Nolan! Roar!

June-

3rd-Our precious little baby boy, Knox Benjamin, entered the world at 9:09pm. He weighed 7lbs2oz and was 19.25 inches long. He was perfect!

Big Bro Nolan and Little Knox!

12th-We celebrated my 28th birthday! I am ready for life to start slowing down. Time just keeps flying by...

18th - Another fun trip to the Dallas Zoo with Nolan, Wyatt, and Alex.

26th-Daddy played in his first golf tourney since Knox was born. ...and he was afraid he would never be able to play again after the 2nd child was born. ha! We are proud to say that him and his partner, Big E, won the tourney. Erik shot an awesome 68, 67. Way to go Erik!!

February Snow Days

2010-02-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Well, we set all kinds of records this year with the snow. It was by far the most snow I have ever seen in Texas and maybe ever. It was lots of fun, although we are happy to see it go! My car really needs a good wash!

Cowboy Game

2010-01-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Erik and I got tickets to the Cowboy/Eagles game. It was awesome! We sat in a suite and got to go on the field before the game. It was unbelieveable!!!!

Our 1st White Christmas... 2009

2010-01-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Nolans 2nd Birthday

2010-01-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

Nolan had a blast at his 2nd birthday party. We had a Handy Manny theme. He loved opening gifts and all his new toys. His favortie was the train table. He still loves playing on it. He also loved eating cake! He had so much fun playing with his friends. Thanks to everyone for coming!

A Little Behind....Thanksgiving '09

2009-12-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving '09 was lots of fun! We have lots to be thankful for. Em, Geoff, Erik, Harold, and Trey all ran in the Turkey Trot this year. We all met up for a fabulous lunch at Harold and Debbies and then went to my parents for a wonderful dinner. We were stuffed to say the least.

This year we have a ton to be thankful for. We are thankful for God, who is our strength and our hope. We are also thankful this year for our family, friends, jobs, our house, our cars, and our kids. Yes, I said kids!!! Nolan's little brother or sister will arrive June 2010. We are super excited that God has performed another miracle in our lives. The joy that Nolan brings to us is overwhelming. We can't imagine what it will be like with 2, but we can't wait to find out!!
Nolan (almost 2), Molly (almost 6), Ally (3), and Emma (??4 weeks old, or close to it)

Ben taught Nolan a bad thing at Thanksgiving...taught him to jump in the grocery cart and to be pushed around. Nolan loved every moment!

A Little Behind...Ally's 3rd Birthday

2009-12-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun going to Aggieland for Ally's 3rd birthday party. It was at the gym where the girls take gymnastics. It was lots of fun for the kids and a little stressful for me. Nolan LOVED the trampoline and the pit. It wore me out! Great party though!! Here are some pics. Wish I had gotten more pics of the girls!

A Little Behind...Halloween Update

2009-12-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I am going to try to get caught up on my blog. Yes, I am a little behind. Let's see, I need to go all the way back to Halloween!!

This year Nolan dressed up as a golfer. He got to wear it 3 times. Needless-to-say, we got our moneys worth. Nolan enjoyed trick-or-treating, although he didn't each much candy. He is so picky!!

Also, the weekend of Halloween, we celebrated my father-in-laws 60th birthday. We had a big party and lots of people dressed up.

Go Horns!

2009-10-16T11:29:00.001-07:00

Well, we aren't going to the Texas/OU game this year, but we are getting excited about it. We went to the game last week in Austin and had lots of fun. Thought I would share a pic of Erik and I before the game at Ryans house. Thanks for a great weekend Ryan!

Halloween Preview

2009-10-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Nolan tried his costume for Halloween on the other night. I thought it would be too big, so I had my mom standing by for alterations. The size I ordered was a 2T-4T and considering he isn't even 2, I thought it would be a little big. BUT, no it wasn't big at all. The shirt is a little snug and the pants fit perfectly. All mom has to do is cut off about an inch of the sock. Anyways, the pics were too cute not to share. Here's Our Little Golfer! More to come soon!

Weekend in Aggieland

2009-09-27T19:09:00.001-07:00

This weekend we (E, N, myself, Mimi, and Pops) went to Bryan/College Station to visit my sister-in-law, Emily, her husband, Geoff, and their girls, Molly and Ally. We had a great time! Friday night we went to Mollys schools Homecoming football game, where she cheered. Saturday morning, we watched Molly play soccer. Saturday afternoon, the ladies went shopping, while the men watched the babies. Saturday evening, Geoff and Erik went to the Aggie football game. Saturday night, we went out to eat for Emilys birthday and had cake and ice cream. We were busy, but had a great time! We love staying at their house because it is super nice and makes us feel like we are on vacation. Thank you Myers for our mini-vacation.

*Nolan did super good sleeping on the nap map. He slept in longer there than he does at home. We might be on to something.

Hook'em Horns

2009-09-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun last night watching the Horns play Tech. Here are my boys getting excited about the big game!!

At last...

2009-09-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

At last, we are finally finished with our outdoor kitchen. Its not exactly what we pictured, but we love it none-the-less. We can't wait to make memories in our new outdoor living space. 1st party is Saturday night with the Barnard family. ( I hope Erik knows how to work the grill.)

Slowly, but Surely

2009-08-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

Over the last 5 weeks, we have transformed out backyard into an outdoor living space. We have slowly, but surely made progress and we are finally beginning to see the end. I can't wait to empty our garage that has been storing all the outdoor furniture. It should be completely finished early next week. So excited!!! (Before, during and after pics)

Happy Birthday Erik!

2009-08-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful husband Erik. He turns 29 today. He is enjoying his birthday at work, but don't be fooled. He went to breakfast with Simmons, lunch with co-workers, Nolan, and myself, and then on to dinner tonight at his Mom and Dads. We are having a little family get-together Saturday for cake and ice cream. He will also celebrate on Friday when he takes off work to play golf with some friends. You see, Erik celebrates his birthday for at least week!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST DADDY EVER!

Nolans 1st Trip to the Zoo

2009-08-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Nolan went to the Dallas Zoo yesterday with his Aunt Lori and Courtney. He loved the farm animals and playing on the playground. He also loved the many things that his Aunt Lori bought for him including his rubber snake, stuffed monkey, shirts, and an animal book. Thank you ladies for taking him! If he is anything like his mommy, he didn't like the smell of the zoo. Who knows...we won't know the answer to that for another year or so.

Waco Childrens Museum

2009-08-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Nolan had so much fun with his cousins, Molly and Ally, today. We met them in Waco at the Childrens Museum. It is the neatest place. Nolan loved watching the trains. His favorite part was probably the cars. He loves being at the wheel...makes him feel in control! Here are some pics from today.

You are looking at a possible future firefighter, school bus driver, pianoist, recording artist, ranch handler, or cardiologist, but for sure a future Indian!!

Our 1st Family Vacation -Days 7 and 8

2009-08-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Day 7-Thursday-July 23rd

Thursday morning, Erik and I went to the the Fun Park again. We rode the alpine slide several more time, which was super fun. Then we played another round of putt-putt. He definately won!

We went back to the house and picked up Nolan and mom and went shopping and ate lunch overlooking the mountains. Then we went back to the house, packed, and then went and did even more shopping.

Day 8-Friday-July 24th

We left Breckenridge at 4:00am. We arrived home about 7:30pm. It was so good to be home, although we miss the cool temperatures. We left Colorado and it was 41 degrees and when we drove into Texas, it was a hot 103 degrees. Nolan did great on the way home. He started screaming when we entered Waxahachie and at that point we didn't care.

Our 1st Family Vacation -Day 6

2009-07-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Day 6- Wednesday - July 22nd

Erik, Nolan, and myself headed to the strip to do some shopping. We walked to whole way down and the whole way back. We stopped at a really cute cafe for lunch. Erik got us a sandwich and a very tasty banana milkshake.

This is one the cute resturants on the strip. The flowers were gorgeous!

This is the view from where we ate lunch on the back porch of the cafe.

We also picked up some cookies from Marys Mountain Cookies. They were the best. You could smell them a block away. Mmmm...tasty!

Nolan enjoying the stroll outside Marys Mountain Cookies!

We also checked out the local golf course and the local park!

Our 1st Family Vacation -Day 5

2009-07-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Day 5- Tuesday - July 21st

Nolan and I just hung around the house that morning. We went for a little hike, but didn't make it too far with the stroller. We came back and I let Nolan pretend to drive Uncle Tims jeep. (what Tim doesn't know won't hurt him ;-))He loved that. All the guys went fishing that morning. After lunch, we went for a little bike ride that turned into the longest bike ride I have ever been on. We went 13 miles...all the way to Lake Dillon and back. Nolan enjoyed the ride...he slept the whole time.

Nolan and Mommy out for a short walk on our street.

Nolan found a place to sit in the backyard and had lots of rocks to play with!

Here is Nolan playing in Uncle Tims jeep! Shhh...nobody tell Tim!

Nolan and Landry couldn't move in their little trailor! Nolan kept leaning on Landry to sleep!

On the bike trail...half way home!

Our 1st Family Vacation -Day 4

2009-07-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

Day 4 - Monday - July 20th

We all loaded up in the cars and headed to the Fun Park. We enjoyed the alpine slide the most. Nolan had fun in the Bounce house with Landry. Troy and Lucas enjoyed the trampoline. We also tried to play 18 holes of putt-putt...half way through it started sleeting on us. We had to run to shelter as Nolan was getting pounded by sleet or hail or whatever the frozen mixture was.

Waiting for the boys to park the cars!

Someone is super sleepy!
Thats me on the alpine slide!

Monday night we all went out to eat in Breckenridge and then to Coldstone Creamery. We loved the oreo ice cream that we got from there. It was so tasty. I am an official fan of that place now.

Our 1st Family Vacation -Day 3

2009-07-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Day 3 - Sunday - July 19th

We went shopping! Its always a good day when you get to go shopping! We went to the outlet malls in Silverthorne. We didn't stay too long, but I managed to find a few deals. They had an Old Navy outlet. I went in and thought to myself...these prices aren't that much cheaper and then I saw a sign that said "Entire store 40% off". Its a good thing I don't live close to one of those because I could do some damage.

Believe it or not...this is where we went shopping. Isn't that awesome!

Our 1st Family Vacation -Day 2

2009-07-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Day 2 - Saturday - July 18th

We woke up the next morning and still had a 3 hour drive ahead of us to Breckenridge. We started the morning off right at IHOP. This is where Nolan tasted chocolate milk for the first time. He LOVED it just like his Mommy and Daddy do!

Here is a weird tiny pic of Nolan and me at IHOP enjoying our pancakes!

He did great on the drive up the mountains. He let out a few crys because I think his ears were popping. We finally arrived at the house at 11:30 to find the Boones and Thompsons waiting on us.

This is our fabulous house that we got to live in all week!

We unpacked and made our way into town to eat at Subway and then on to City Market for some grocerys...okay...for a TON of grocerys!

This is our total at the grocery store, us checking out, and 1 of the 2 cars full of grocerys. Yes, we got WAY too much food!

Our 1st Family Vacation -Day 1

2009-07-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to take a big family vacation. It included the Barnards, Carters, Boones and Thompsons. Erik found the neatest house in Breckenridge and we just spent a week there. Here is a play by play of the week!

Day 1 - Friday - July 17th

We left about 10am and picked up Gigi at work in Mansfield about 10:30. I was so worried that Nolan wouldn't do very good on the 15 hour road trip. I honestly prayed about the situation about million times. God was so good and so was little Nolan. He was perfect as long as we had snacks and Mickey Mouse.

We stopped for lunch at Dairy Queen and we learned that Nolan loves their chocolate dipped ice cream...just like his mom. We stopped for dinner in Raton at McDonalds and Nolan had a blast playing in the playground and coming down a long slide by himself.

Later that night, we arrived in Castlerock, where we stayed the night in a hotel for the 1st time with Nolan. He did not like it at all! As soon as we entered the hotel room, he started screaming....he eventually went to sleep and when he woke up he was still screaming. I was thinking that he had an ear infection, but later realized he just hates hotel rooms. He was fine once we got outside the next morning.

Here is a pic of Nolan in the car eating a snack and watching Mickey!

Homemade Ice Cream

2009-07-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

I made homemade ice cream for the first time today. We received a very nice cuisinart ice cream maker for our wedding (5 years ago) and I decided to pull it out today for the annual ice cream social at my in-laws. Nolan and I made Strawberry Homemade Ice Cream, although Nolan apparently wanted apple (he tried to put an apple in...thank goodness it was too big to fit) ! I only sampled a spoon full and it is yummy! I can't wait until tonight to have a couple of bowls and watch fireworks. Just hoping that Nolan likes the fireworks as much as the ice cream!!! Happy 4th!

Eriks New Love

2009-07-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

Erik has a new love and appreciation for Nolan this week. He didn't think it was possible to love him any more, but he does now. Nolan LOVES to sit with Erik and watch golf now. They are so cute together. Everytime a ball goes in the hole, Nolan holds up his right hand and makes a fist. He is just too cute.

San Antonio '09

2009-06-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Every year, Erik and I go with the Simmons to San Antonio. This year the Turners went with us. We had a great time, to say the least! We stayed at La Cantera. It was awesome! They have several pools, 2 golf courses, and an amazing mall about 0.5 miles down the road. We also manage to stop by San Marcus for a little (or alot) of shopping.

Top 5 sayings from the trip

1. "Atlanta!!!"

2. "Only in America" (would a homeless man be charging his cell phone on the river walk)

3. "Is this real?"

4. "Is it this big?"

5. "Lets take a picture here"

Top 5 Memories from the trip

1. Atlanta

2. Chocolate Thunder

3. Bananas Foster at Saltgrass (not really)

4. Golf and Shopping

5. J.T. at the pool and at the golf course (wow!)

Last Day of School

2009-05-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Splash Day at MDO was a success, although Nolan was scared of the pools. To no surprise, he liked the popcicles and the bubbles. I sure hope he gets over this fear of the water. I dread bathtime every night. He won't sit down in the tub. Anyways, he obviously had fun today and that is all that matters! He will miss his pals...Ethan and Jadon!

Before and After

2009-05-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

and AFTER...

He looks so grown up with his new haircut! He is the cutest thing I have ever seen!

Nolans Ready

2009-05-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

I think Nolan is ready to jump in the pool for a swim. The water isn't quite warm enough. He enjoyed playing outside today.

The Last Supper

2009-05-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last night was bittersweet! Nolan and I went with the Simmons to Ninos for the very last time. Ninos is closing their door after many years of serving the best mexican food in town. It was so yummy! Of course, afterwards, we had to make room for dessert. We went to Eskimos. It was so good and so cheap. I highly recommend that place. (Poor Michael, I didn't get a pic of him!)

Picture Perfect Day

2009-05-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

We were actually running early for church this morning....only because we were running late for Sunday School and missed it. So, we took a couple of pics and I thought I would share them. Today is just gorgeous....70's and sunny. We went to the park earlier. I pulled Nolan around on my bike. He liked it so much that he fell asleep. Guess we will try that again soon.

Weekend in Wisconsin

2009-05-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I traveled to Wisconsin for my cousins 2nd wedding reception. Courtney and Ben and their familys showed us a great time. Friday we celebrated Courtneys birthday with a cook-out. Saturday, we got our hair done and ate, and ate some more and then went to the reception. It was just beautiful. We were out late both nights so needless-to-say I was exhausted come Sunday. Of course, Sunday was Mothers Day, and Nolan and Erik met me at the airport to pick me up. I missed him so much!!!

Better Late than Never

2009-05-01T18:43:00.001-07:00

Here are a few Easter pictures from this year. Better late than never, right? Well, Mimi requested some pics about a week ago, so here they are.

I got to work in the nursery with Nolan Easter morning, so here is a shot of him playing with his friend Jonas. (He is in the background)

This pic is at Mimi and Pops house. They put on a big easter egg hunt and Nolan enjoyed ever minute of it. That is his cousin, Ally, in the back.

Mimi and Pops came out for the neighborhood easter egg hunt. Pops is helping Nolan find some eggs.

First Time Mom Mistake

2009-04-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Nolan had an easter egg hunt yesterday at MDO. Yes, I knew that they were having it...but I didn't think about the fact that he needed an easter basket. I get there and all the other kids have the cutest baskets and the teacher was so nice and said "I can just make Nolan a basket". I was like "no, I will be back".

Heres the deal...I knew that he would need an easter basket this year, so I had a great thought. I loved the personalized baskets at potterybarnkids. So I just thought I would wait until they went on sale the week before and buy it then. I didn't even think about the possibility that they would be sold out! They were! So instead....

I went to Target and found Nolan the perfect basket. I just knew he would like it....it was an Elmo basket! He did! He loves it and loves Easter egg hunting! Can't wait to see what he does this weekend.

By-the-way, my house is not usually this messy. I was folding laundry in Nolans playroom.

More Wedding Pics

2009-04-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Wedding Weekend!

2009-04-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend my cousin Courtney got married. I was the matron of honor. Erik was an usher and Nolan was the ring bearer. Here are some highlights from the weekend.

Thursday night - Simply Fondue - Bacholorette/Lingerie Dinner

Friday - Rehearsal Dinner - Mi Cocinas Nolan is wearing Eriks cowboy hat that was received as a gift from Ben. Since Ben is from Wisconsin, the bridesmaids got cheese heads and the groomsmen/ushers got cowboy hats.
Here is a pic of me with some of the bridesmaids.
Here is a pic of us at Billy Bobs after the rehearsal.
Saturday - The Wedding

It was a crazy evening to say the least. Nolan did so good at the wedding. He walked down with his cousin Landry. They made it half way down the aisle and decided to turn around, but then turned around again and ran down the aisle to his daddy.

Priceless

2009-04-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the pricey pictures that I was complaining about a few weeks ago. I took a picture of the pictures, so they aren't the best quality, but you get the idea. I think they turned out cute. Now that we have the pictures and they are paid for...they will be priceless for years to come.

All Dressed up and no where to go...yet!

2009-03-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Nolan is the ring bearer at my cousins wedding next weekend. He tried on his suit last night. Oh, did I mention when he went to his 15 month check up...he was in his 91% for weight, 30% for height, and 99% for head size. We joke and say he is short, plump, and has a big head. Needless to say, the suit needs some alterations. His pants are about 3 inches too long (thank you mom for altering them)...the shirt won't button around the neck...the tie is too short...the vest won't button around his belly and the shoes don't fit, because his feet are too wide. With all that said...he is the cutest little man I have ever seen. He is going to do great! (Courtney...Nolan wants to know if he can ride a horse like this one down the aisle???)

Spring Break!

2009-03-22T17:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it was Nolans Spring Break anyway. The rest of us got to work, but we still had a little fun.

Monday-I got to work, while Nolan played all day with his great-grandfather and his wife....aka, Pappy and Pat. This was also Mimi and Pops 35th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

Tuesday-I got to work again! After work, Nolan and I went to Mimi and Pops house to see his cousins, Molly and Ally, and Aunt Em. Pops heated the pool for us and we went swimming for the first time this year. Nolan loves splashing the water! He loved every moment except getting out! (oh and Nolan doesn't normally wear a hat with pink stripes...he had to borrow his cousins)

Wednesday-Nolan got to go see the doctor and get his 15 month shots. Always exciting! Not! That is the worst....holding your child down as they look at you with enormous tears rolling down their cheeks and a face that says "Mommy why are you doing this to me?" Anyways, that evening we (erik, myself, emily and geoff) took Eriks parents out to eat at Eddie V's for their anniversary. The food was sooo tasty! If you ever go, you have to save room for the Banana's Foster. Its the best dessert ever! Thursday - We relaxed! Nolan helped me with laundry, as always! We spent a lot of time outside. We have a new net on our pool to help keep Nolans safe...anyways, he thought it would be funny to throw his soccer ball on it and let mommy fetch it. It was funny, but not at the time!Here is a pic of the pool with the net...just imagine the ball out in the middle. Thursday was also my brother, Chris', birthday. Happy Birthday Chris! (sorry chris, I can't find a pic of you right now, although I could have used the one from Christmas with the bow on your head, but I decided not to...:-))
Friday - I got to work again, because a co-worker was on vacation. Nolan played with Mimi all day. That night we went out to eat for Chris' birthday at Texas Roadhouse. It was really good food too.

I love that Spring is in the air, although with Spring comes allergies. Nolan started coughing worse last night and his nose is running like a faucet. Hopefully, it is just allergies and not another round of sickness.

Robbed!!

2009-03-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

Okay, well I feel like I got robbed anyway. We had our family pictures taken at Holmes last week and yesterday we went to pick out the pictures. They were all absolutely precious. I fell in love with about 15 pictures, but unfortunately could only afford two poses. I mean really, why can' t these photographers just sell copies of the pictures on CD and we could make our own copies. Afterall, those pictures are of my family and my baby. All they are going to do is trash them. Just venting. Does anyone else understand? I'm really not that upset. I know they have to make money too....but really, do they have to raise the prices on their pics so much!

Sleepless Weekend

2009-03-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

The weekend couldn't have started more perfectly. Friday night, Erik and I went to Chick-fil-a for a milkshake. I have been wanting one forever and finally I was getting it....Cookies 'n Cream. Mmmmm...it was tasty!

Friday night, we put Nolan to bed at his usual time and we went to bed about 9:30, looking forward to a good nights sleep after a week of work. Well, about 10:30 we were awaken by a screaming child. It continued every 15 minutes, it seemed, throughout the night. He was coughing his head off.

Saturday morning, we went to the doctor. He had an ear infection in the left ear, fluid on the right ear, drainage everywhere, including a partially blocked tear duct that makes him look like he got socked in the eye. Poor guy. You can't help but feel sorry for him.

Right after the appointment, we dropped Nolan off at Gigi and Papas, and we were off to a noon wedding. It was the perfect golf day and yes, Erik was at a wedding. He wasn't the happiest camper, but he got through it. We didn't know a soul there, but it didn't matter, we knew the bride, Allyson. I use to work with her. She is very special to me and it was an honor to be at her wedding. You see, she is the sono tech that proved the pregnancy test wrong. There was a sweet little baby in there. She also was there when we found out it was going to be a boy and later on she pointed out the wavy long hair. Not to mention, Nolan was born on her birthday, 12/12. Congratulations Allyson! You looked stunning and the wedding was beautiful!

Then it was back to reality Saturday evening with a fussy little boy. We went to Lance and Sydneys for dinner. It was tasty as always and lots of fun. Then we were off to the house to get the little guy down, or so we thought. It wasn't that simple. He didn't even get in his bed. We all had a long night. He would take short naps and then awake coughing. Then he was up for good at 5:15, which was really 4:15 with the time change.

Well, right now, we are breaking a record for the weekend. He has been asleep for an hour and a half. Hopefully, this continues as Erik and I both work tomorrow. Pray for Mr. Nolan to feel better.

Sickness

2009-02-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

The last several days have not been fun in the Barnard household. Nolan and I have been sick. I am feeling better, however, Nolan...not so much. He has the combo deal...teething, fever, congestion, cough, and a stomach virus. He is doing better, but he is still miserable.

Thought these pics were cute. Today he picked up a brush and starting brushing his hair. It was so funny! Its the little things in life that make you smile!

Here Nolan and his Daddy are outside playing football with a soccer ball. They both had fun! This was right before Nolan got sick.

Playtime!

2009-02-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

Nolan has had so much fun playing outside lately. Here are a few pics of him. He is all boy and always into something!

Valentines Day

2009-02-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

Love was in the air at our house Valentines Day. My mom, sister-in-law, Carrie, and I hosted a bridal shower for my cousin, Courtney, who is getting married in April. We had a great time eating lots of chocolate and watching her open fun gifts.

Our Little Golfer

2009-01-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

Nolan made the first of many trips to the golf course today. He loved every minute of it. It was like he was born to be a golfer. He loved riding and driving the golf cart. He would say "wwwww" when his Daddy stepped on the pedal. He hasn't quite gotten "weee" down yet. Nolans favorite part of the trip was picking up Daddys golf balls and running them to the hole and dropping them in. He is a quick learner. Too bad his Daddy hasn't mastered getting the ball in the hole yet.

Warning!

2009-01-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Warning about bosses! This is what happens when your boss does a "favor" for you with his photoshop. Apparently, he got a kick out of it and I thought you might too. This is supposedly what Nolan will look like in a few years.

Sledding Mt. Aggie

2009-01-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to College Station for my neice, Mollys, 5th birthday party. We went out to eat Friday night, which was crazy with Nolan running around. The party was held at Mt. Aggie on Saturday morning and everyone got to go sledding (including Nolan). It was so much fun! Those kids were fearless. I can't say the same for myself as I screamed everytime I went down the mountain (hill). Happy Birthday Molly and thanks for inviting us to your fun party!

Perfect Weather

2009-01-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

The last 2 days, we have had perfect weather! Nolan has been able to play outside for the first time. He had so much fun! He loves to hear himself walk on the grass. Today, he wore shorts! Needless to say, he has some scrapes on his knees. All in all, Nolan loves the outdoors. No matter his mood, if I ask him if he wants to go outside, he starts smiling and runs to the door.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

(Nolan apparently has an earlier bedtime than his friends)

We had so much fun at the home of the Simmons New Years Eve. It was BYOK...Bring Your Own Kiddos. There were tons of kids there.(8 under 1 or that just turned 1) The Simmons bought Wii World Tour for the special night and that was very entertaining. I really didn't need any confirmation that I was uncoordinated, but I got it. I got to hear "BOOOOOO" quite often.

New Years Day was lots of fun....we went shopping at the Galleria with Nolan. He wanted out of the stroller as soon as he got in the stroller. As soon as he got out of the stroller, he wanted down and he did not want to hold anyones hand. Needless to say, we didn't get much shopping done and we learned not to go back to the mall with him.

The next night,Friday, we went to the Mavs Game with the Rusts! We had lots of fun! Between Lance's curb checks to avoid the policeman and the lady yelling in our ears at the game, we were lucky to make it home safely.

You will never believe what we did on Saturday. I thought that we learned our lesson. Apparently not! We went back to the mall! This time he did better, but not great. We were able to spend a little Christmas money which is always fun!!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday Nolan!

2008-12-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Nolan's 1st Birthday was on Friday. I can't believe the little guy has been here a year! He is just full of life and so precious!!

We had Nolan's 1st Birthday party on Saturday. It was a Winter One-derland! It was great! We had lots of family and friends over to help celebrate!

BIRTHDAY BOY!

Winter One-derland Birthday Cake

"I do not like this thing on my head and I am about to tell everyone!"

Singing "Happy Birthday"

Opening gifts... " I love this paper!"

Some of Nolan's favorite gifts!
Disney stock...he will appreciate that later!
Firetruck #1 (for inside use only)

Firetruck #2 (motorized outdoor vehicle)

Mommy and Nolan

2008-12-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Nolan and Mommy before Church this morning. We matched! Daddy had green on, so he would have fit in, but unfortunately he was the photographer.

Santa and Nolan

2008-12-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

We went and had Nolans picture taken with Santa. He liked Santa from afar, but did not like sitting in Santas lap. Ever since then, he has just screamed at any man with a beard other than my brother, Chris.

Rockin' around the Christmas Tree

2008-11-29T19:21:00.000-08:00

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

Nolan enjoys playing with his cousins, Molly and Ally, the day after Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Things I am Thankful for today:

1. My Salvation in Jesus Christ
2. My precious baby, Nolan
3. My wonderful husband, Erik
4. Our Family who bends over backwards for us.
5. Our Friends who are always so supportive
6. Our Home
7. Our Jobs
8. Turkey, Dressing, and chocolate pie :-)
9. UT football to keep Erik entertained (Hook'em)
10. Waxahachie...there is no place like home!

First Haircut

2008-11-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

BEFORE...

DURING...

AFTER!!!

Nolan had his first haircut Saturday. He did a really good job holding still and Kelsey did an even better job with the scissors. He just looks so grown up now. He is even acting older since he got the new look.

Happy Anniversary Myers and Happy Birthday Ally!

2008-11-18T18:02:00.001-08:00

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful sister-in-law, Emily and her husband Geoff! Their wedding 8 years ago was as beautiful as it was cold. (It was fridgid...as they left the reception it started sleeting.)

Happy Birthday (last Sunday) to my super cute niece Ally! I can't believe she's already 2!

Ally playing "dress-up"!

First Tooth

2008-11-18T17:56:00.000-08:00

Yeah!!! Nolan finally has his first tooth coming in. It has been through the gum for several days although it hasn't inched up at all. We are so relieved that he is actually going to have teeth. We were beginning to wonder if we would be buying dentures for his first birthday. I obviously don't have a pic of his first tooth considering I would have to stick my camera in his mouth to get a shot (I don't think that would go over too well)!

Nolans 1st Halloween

2008-11-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Nolan had so much fun on his first halloween! He got to stay up late, see family and friends, play, and eat candy (just a sucker). His night couldn't have been better!

Our Little Monkey!

Nolan stops by Mimi and Pops house to sing and clamp.

Weeeeee!!! I'm swinging like a real monkey!

Maci, Reid, Nolan, Michael, and Maryn go Trick-or-Treating together.

Michael and Maryn are two peas and a pod(s).

This is the prettiest Dorothy I have ever seen!

And this is the prettiest cat I have ever seen, my precious niece, Landry!

Weekend Festivities

2008-10-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

This was a very busy weekend for the Barnard family, from all the Homecoming Festivities to visiting Nolans newest little friends to a big birthday bash!!

It all started Saturday with the annual WHS Homecoming Parade! How exciting! (well, it was for Nolan anyway) It was Nolans 1st parade. He just sat on a blanket for the longest time in awe of the cars and trucks slowly driving by.

Nolans cousins, Molly (right) and Ally (left) had lots of fun at the parade too!

Molly, Emily (my sister-in-law), and Ally watched the parade from the curb to get a better view! (and more candy!!)

Like I said, I went to visit Nolans newest little friends, Michael and Maryn. They are 10 days old in this pic. Michael is protecting his sisters eyes from the flash in this picture.

I went with some friends to see the twins. From left to right, myself, Jodi (who had twins 3 weeks ago, Gretta (the mommy of Michael and Maryn), and Emily (my sister-in-law). It was fun sharing mommy stories!

Saturday afternoon, we attended a luncheon in honor of my father-in-law, Harold. He got inducted into the WHS Hall of Fame. We are so proud of him!

Saturday evening, we went to Eriks 10th high school reunion! It was fun catching up with old friends. It brought back many memories seeing their faces. Unfortunately, there are no pics from this event, as I left my camera in the car.

Last, but not least, was little Macis 2nd birthday party out at the farm. Nolan had lots of fun and even managed to get a few kisses from Maci. He liked that!

Hook'em Horns!

2008-10-11T18:47:00.001-07:00

Way to go Longhorns! They defeated OU 45 to 35! It was an awesome game! Erik, Harold (Eriks dad), and Chris (my brother) enjoyed the game from the stands, while Nolan and I enjoyed the game from the living room.

Too Cute Not To Share!

2008-09-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

All Boy!

Cheese! "How can I get ahold of that camera?"

Preview...Our Little Monkey

"Umm...that was yummy!"

1st cookie

Into everything!

Pretty enough to be a girl!

(Daddy is not going to like that comment!)

Monkey Business

2008-09-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

We spotted a little monkey around our house. Isn't he adorable! He will be back in full costume around Halloween. We are perfecting the monkey business. Stay tuned for more!

First Indian Football Game

2008-09-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

Nolan with Mr. Simmons, aka Uncle B.W.

Nolan sitting on Daddys lap...people watching!

Nolan attended his first Indian football game. He started the evening being fussy. Once we got to the game, he cheered up. Nolan did so good and so did the Indians as they defeated the Tigers.

The Tonka Truck

2008-09-18T12:56:00.001-07:00

Nolan has another new toy...the tonka truck. He is learning to walk, so he likes to push his new truck around. He has already learned to turn it while standing. Nolan is just so smart!

Nolans New Ride

2008-09-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Check out Nolans new ride! He likes to sit back and watch Mommy get a good work-out pulling him around the neighborhood. It is so relaxing that it just puts him to sleep. This is just one of our many activites that we do to keep Mr. Nolan entertained in the evening.

First Day of School

2008-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Nolan is obviously eager to learn after his first day at school!

This was a BIG week for Nolan because he started school! (well he started mothers day out anyway) The first week went great! He was the only one not crying when we dropped him off and he still had a smile when we picked him up. The only thing he did not excel at was nap time. We are always working on that. He got an A+ during playtime. All the kids came and sat around him to play. He is already class favorite! (or maybe it is because he is the only one that cannot walk) With all that said...we are looking forward to another wonderful week at mothers day out.

Happy Birthday Erik!

2008-08-27T13:29:00.001-07:00

Erik is now 28! He had a wonderful birthday yesterday filled with a fun day at work! His parents were gracious enough to have us over for dinner, along with my parents! Erik is so loving and caring and such a hard worker. Nolan and I couldn't be more proud of him. Erik, thanks for all that you do for us...we love you and Happy Birthday!

This is a pic of Erik and his little twin before church one Sunday!

Playtime at the Park

2008-08-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today was Nolans first day to play at the park. We always go to the park to stroll while Daddy runs, however we never make it to the playground. Today we did! Nolan had so much fun on the swings! It was his favorite part! The slide with Daddy was a little scary so we will have to try that again next time. Overall, Nolan had a great experience! I am sure we will be back to visit the playground soon!

Nolans 8 months old!

2008-08-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Nolan is already 8 months old! He is growing up so fast! This last month he has learned to crawl and pull up on everything (especially the TV stand). He is a very busy little boy these days. We are enjoying him so much!

Nolans 8 Favorite Things

1. Momma and Dada

2. Food

3. Pool/Bath

4. Paci

5. Bottle

6. Doorstops

7. Electrical Cords

8. Balls

Weekend Trip to Aggieland

2008-08-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Aggieland to visit my sister-in-law and her family, the Myers! It is like going on vacation when we go to their house. It is just fabulous! The weekend was filled with golf, shopping, eating, swimming, and lots of playtime. Nolans cousins, Molly and Ally, were so nice to include him in everything, especially dress-up time. We had so much fun and are so thankful for the Myers!

Pressured by Peers

2008-08-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

It was finally time for me to join the blogging world after months of reading my friends blogs. I hope you all enjoy keeping up with our crazy lives. I will do my best to keep you up to date. Be sure to check back in soon and see whats going on with the Barnards!