First Day of Kindergarten

My baby started kindergarten today!

We are blessed with a child who is excited about her new adventure.

Here she is with her friend, Jadeyn. They are seated at the same table in class!

Natural Hot Spring

One of my favorite parts of our recent vacation was our stop along the road between Purgatory and Durango where we found this beauty...a natural hot spring.

I love them. I think they are some of God's best work.

I loved watching Abby climb and explore it. I loved her commentary as she compared the temperature of the water at the top to that at the bottom, and later, to that of the river water.

I loved the picnic we enjoyed at the bottom under a shade tree. I could have stayed all day.

The pictures I took are some of my favorites of the trip also.

Durango, Colorado

We are back from vacation! We went to Durango, Colorado for a few days and rode the train from Durango to Silverton,

rafted down the Animas River,

played in the nippy water,

did a little rock climbing,

and did a little real climbing.

Abby"isms" continued

• When referring to death, Abby will ask, "How did it get dead?" or "When (insert pronoun) gets dead..." Last week, we came across an injured, yet still alive, butterfly. "Mama, be careful! We don't want it to get more dead." I guess there are also degrees of death.


• After admiring a photo on my camera, Abby said, "Maybe you can picture frame it."


• "Which is more betterer?"


• "There are no more dinosaurs. I read it in my Bible." "We are going swimming today. I read it in my Bible."

Baseball 2011

I know I say this every year, but what an amazing baseball season we had! I feel so honored to be part of such a program...from parents to players...they are the best! The year was full of successes and lots of wins, with us ultimately playing until the weekend before the state tournament and making the Regional Finals.

(pictured: Kyle T, Tyler L, Cody B, and Jakob C)

Abby continued to love the guys and they loved her...or at least they humored her...all of them. She knew the whole roster after the first game and could spot Kyle T a mile away on the field. River gained her friendship immediately by always shouting, "AAAABBBBBBBBBBBYYYYY!" when he saw her. Any of them would pick her up and carry her, not always right side up, but definitely above the ground. And Branson was always interested in her latest commentary and high five that went with it.

Thank you Hamlin Pied Piper Baseball!

New Addition

Meet Stripe (aka Stripey...aka Cat...aka Kitty). Abby has been wanting a cat for, let's see, since she was born. No, seriously, she has been really wanting a cat since about this time last year when we were in the process of moving and the neighbors in Amarillo got two new kitties that visited our yard on a regular basis. But Mama sometimes said no and Daddy always said no and Sassy said she would leave home. Then, it happened. Daddy was cornered in church one Sunday morning and told the perfect kitten was ready to come live with us. He caved, and within hours, we, the self proclaimed "not cat people," became "cat people." I am not sure who is more smitten, but I am sure who is less smitten...she posted an ad in the paper this morning for a new owner...only specification...one without a cat.

I Want a Doughnut for Breakfast

This morning Abby woke up wanting a doughnut for breakfast, but guess what...Hamlin does not have a doughnut shop...yet. Therefore, doughnuts for breakfast were out of the question. Doughnuts were not out of the question for Abby though. She hopped off the couch, announcing that she was having a doughnut and that she did not need help. So, while I took a catnap, she made herself a doughnut. I wish I had taken its picture but photography was not at the top of my list at 7:15 this morning. Anyway, her doughnut consisted of a hamburger bun smeared with strawberry cream cheese and topped with rainbow sprinkles. After one bite, she proudly proclaimed it was, "just as good as a red (cherry) doughnut."

In other Abby news, every playtime sentence right now begins with, "Let's pretend that..." It makes my job as a playmate pretty easy because I usually just have to follow the brief instruction that is given before my next "Let's pretend that..." instruction is given. Sure is easier than the days when her idea of playtime was watching me weave incredible tales with her Little People. Except that, sometimes, I like to say "Let's pretend that..." too.