The Bucks

Rejoicing!

2011-12-17T15:57:00.006-06:00

We just recently overcame a big thing with Elizabeth. Elizabeth had been doing great at taking a morning nap in her own bed after I rocked her to sleep (which didn't take long). The afternoon however was a different story. I would rock her and lay her down and she would wake back up. We found that putting her in the swing put her too sleep so she would occasionally sleep there for a couple of hours. Then it happened!!! Later last week I was home alone with Elizabeth and I was doing some things around the house. She was playing on her floor mat and would watch me walk back and forth. Then one time I looked down and she was asleep!!! She is still doing this which is awesome! If I see her fall asleep on her mat....I then graciously pick her up and put her in her bed so she gets comfortable with her bed. (she kind of wakes up but goes right back to sleep in her bed) I still am able to rock her to sleep in the morning. (I love cuddle moments with her since Hayden doesn't do much of that anymore)

This picture was her asleep just a couple of weeks ago; looks just like Hayden. Love the way they sleep.
My two precious children!! Still crazy to think I am a mom.
Hayden had just given Elizabeth a kiss in this picture.
Next on our agenda of things to learn is sleeping in her pack n play. She sleeps all night swaddled in her sleeper (like a bassinet; which keeps her upright some) but we need to practice sleeping flat in her pack n play. I wanted to make sure she is sleep great at night. I will continue to do better at posting!

Meet my family

2011-12-13T09:22:00.008-06:00

Please meet Elizabeth Ann. I can now say I feel more rested. Elizabeth has been a great baby from the start but even better now because she is sleeping til about 7:45 in the morning. So I am getting about 9 hrs of sleep at night. She is one very happy baby. She was giving me 8 hrs of sleep but that was adding it all together. The only time she fusses is if she is sleepy or hungry. Big Brother is doing great with her!! He loves her and is always asking to see her. He also makes sure she gets a hug and a kiss before he goes to bed. Elizabeth will be going in to the doctor in a week for her 2 month checkup!!! I can't believe its already been 2 months. We are very happy now and are very excited that we now have a precious boy AND a precious girl!! Its been an adjustment but we are surviving! Here are some pics we have taken through these past 8 weeks!

Elizabeth is here!

2011-11-10T17:57:00.005-06:00

So I haven't done too great at posting lately. However, I wanted all to know that Elizabeth Ann is finally here! She arrived October 17th. She is doing great and Hayden is doing a great job at being a helper for me and also as a big brother. He loves on her a lot! Once we get more pictures uploaded I will update with those and more stories about the big day! For now here are my 3 favorite people!!!

Exciting week for the Bucks!

2011-08-25T14:34:00.010-05:00

This past week was a big week for Hayden as well as for the family. We are coming to the realization that our little man is growing up. Kind of sad but also excited to see what he is learning and able to do. Hayden started Pre School at the Mother's Day Out here in Gatlinburg. (where I also work) Here is a picture of his first day this week.

This next picture is just for fun and to see how much he has been growing the past year. This is from his first day at Mother's Day Out last year. Funny thing is Hayden can still wear those clothes.

The other big thing that happened this week is Hayden is now tall enough to ride his big boy bike. We took him to a park in Pigeon Forge that has a great walking path and flat. He can now pedal his bike all by himself; except for a small push start. He loved it and I'm excited that I can walk and he can ride his bike!!! Here is a link to a short video that Joey made of this new experience as well as a picture.

Baby Buck Reveal Party

2011-06-16T20:46:00.007-05:00

So we have had one exciting week this week!!! Mom and dad came in this past Saturday and after they got here we were looking forward to our reveal day. When we had a sonogram about a month ago I had the nurse put in an envelope if the baby was a boy or a girl. The envelope stayed in our safe deposit box til this past Thursday. I then gave it to a friend who was going to make either a pink or blue cake. This reveal was this past Sunday June 12th. Here are a few pictures that captured the moment.

IT'S A GIRL!!! Elizabeth Ann Buck will be here in October!!
Dad passed on a sweet moment that he experience with Hayden the Monday following the reveal party. While at the playground at my parents condo a couple of girls came up to play and Hayden being his friendly self was talking to them. Dad didn't hear it all but he did here, "that's my little sister's name." So when Hayden came over to Dad, he asked Hayden if one of the girls names was Elizabeth and he said yes. Hayden is going to be a great big brother.

Where did this come from?

2011-04-18T09:27:00.005-05:00

What a precious but different night we had the other night. It was Saturday night that we laid Hayden down for bed like any other night. About 3 minutes later I'm taking my makeup off and Joey is in our room doing some last minute work; we hear Hayden crying. (Just before that he was talking because I could hear him through the bathroom) We went in there and he said, "I just love you so much." Joey and I reassured Hayden that we were not going anywhere and that we loved him as well. During this time he also cried that he just wanted to be a big brother. I once again reassured him that the baby was on his/her way. This continued for a few more minutes but what sticks in my head still is him crying and saying, "But I love ya'll so much."

What brought this about than any other day? Who knows but what really makes me smile is how big Hayden's heart is. We knew that the day he was born he was a very curious baby as he just watched and listened to the new sounds. To this day I still feel he is looking around and listening to what is going on around him and curious and concerned to how others are feeling.
The day before this took place we were at a birthday party for a friend's daughter. While she was opening her presents Hayden came around the table to us saying, "I have a question for you daddy." He leaned over and said, "I love you." Wow!! If that doesn't make your heart melt I don't know what would. (he doesn't understand statements and questions yet; Ha!)

Praise the Lord for the heart of our son and for the excitement he has about being a big brother that he is just ready. He is going to be an awesome brother! Something else that is amazing to me is that God's love for his children is soo much greater than this. Wow!! That is huge!!

Mommy and Daddy love you so much too Hayden!!!

Spring has arrived

2011-04-11T14:02:00.006-05:00

Well I believe Spring is now here. However, right now it feels as if summer is here. This past weekend it was in the 80s but this week looks like it could be in the 70s which I am excited about that. Since it was a beautiful weekend (even thought it felt hot) we were able to enjoy some outdoor activities. We had an Easter Egg hunt at the church for Hayden which he of course loved. After that we were going to Dollywood to play while daddy made some visits. Our "playing" consisted first the air conditioned theater for a show. Of course the trip ended with bowls of ice cream and some rain to cool us off. I will say that others had the same idea as us in going to Dollywood. It was pretty crowded.
The evening consisted of pizza on the front porch, which it felt great at that time.

There were a couple of things that happened this weekend that I would like to share; mainly for grandparents to hear. Someone who has Hayden in a class with her came to me and was very complimentary of Hayden. She said he is so well mannered and is always saying please and thank you. She also said that he opened the gate for her (from the playground) as they were leaving and just thought that was the sweetest thing. That brought a smile to my face because we do work with him on his manners and to hear from someone else that he is doing these things is the rewarding part of parenting.
Also as we were headed home last night Hayden was hold his stuffed bear in the backseat and talking to him. Its what he was saying that really caught me. He was telling him the story he learned in Sunday School which was Jesus washing his disciples feet. (Hayden got to be the helper and be the disciple) What a precious thing to hear.

Today is currently April 11th and so that means two weeks from today we will begin our journey to Branson where we will be with family for a week. We are sooo ready for a getaway!!!!

Joey and Hayden Conversation

2011-03-24T18:29:00.003-05:00

Conversation with Joey and Hayden:

Joey: "Hayden, come sit with me and read with me. Let's read my magazine. (Popular Mechanics)"

Hayden: "How about my magazine. (leaves to his room) Let's read this book daddy!"

Joey: "Ok" (sad he can't read his magazine)

Hayden then climbs up into daddy's lap and says, "daddy you need to scoot over."

Joey: "You sure are making things complicated." (mostly sad he has to scoot over in his chair and he isn't getting to ready Popular Mechanics) Ha!

Hayden: "Yeah Yeah I am."

It was pretty hilarious. If it doesn't seem funny it must have been one of those "you had to have been there" type of moments.

What a fun blessing

2011-03-20T13:14:00.003-05:00

Today when we got Hayden out of his class from church he was nonstop about the story he learned. The story was Daniel and the Lion's Den. He kept telling us, " Daniel was thrown in the lion's den; God made the lions nice lions; God protected Daniel; the lions did this (showing us he couldn't open his mouth)"
What a huge blessing to know the excitement of learning about our God and telling others. His teacher even said he was asking questions! If Joey started talking in the car Hayden would say, "shhh I'm talking about Daniel!" Love it!! Maybe we can get it on video of him telling the story of Daniel.

Also on our way home we were driving by the condos that my parents stay at everytime they are in. I made the comment that I was excited about Nenaw and Papa coming in June so we could stay in their condo. Hayden said maybe they will be in room 118. I told Joey we would have to write that # down just in case it ended up being that number. Well then Hayden perks up and says just like Weekend of a Lifetime. I'm pretty sure that the room he stayed in with Grandmommy and Grandaddy Buck at this conference was 118 and Joey and I were 119. That amazes me that Hayden can pull some back up from a few months ago. As Joey would say, "He's a genious!"

Dollywood is open next week!! We are all ready!

Baby is getting bigger!

2011-03-12T20:06:00.004-06:00

Another funny from Hayden today.
As I was getting Hayden out of the car I was telling him that my tummy wasn't feeling so good. He said "why?" I told him it was the baby and it was probably cause the baby was getting bigger. He said, "well lets get it out." I said we can't get it out yet. He responded with but the baby is bigger. He doesn't realize how much bigger the baby needs to be before coming. Very cute!!
He continues to make us laugh!!

Pets we didn't know we had

2011-03-05T12:44:00.004-06:00

This past week Hayden is branching out to act like animals. This week we have had a pet frog named Hermit and today he is now a dog named Herpson. (Herpson is his last name but we can call him by that) We have one silly boy on our hands.
I believe you all have heard Hayden mention his girlfriend Ashley. Well we had her and her husband over for dinner. We did not tell Hayden that they were coming. First he hid and finally when I got him out of his room (me holding him), he was holding on to me so tight that I could put my arms to the side of me and he was still holding on. About 15-20 minutes later he was running alllll over the places. Not sure if you are aware but if we see any of our friends that are in shows from Dollywood Hayden acts soooo shy and won't even look at them. Hopefully we will be growing out of that but its also so funny that he acts like that. Ha!

2011-02-28T20:11:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to add a couple of things on here that Hayden said today.....The first you may needed to have been there but this morning Hayden came in our room as Joey and I were still in bed and opened up the blinds. I said, "Hayden does it look like its going to rain?" He responded with, "Probably so." That is a big word (to me) for him to say so to hear him say that was really cute.
The next thing was we were at ChickfilA this evening for dinner. On the kids meals you can give back the toy in exchange for ice cream. So we got the ice cream for Hayden. We had to put a napkin tucked into his shirt and it kept falling and we would fix it. Hayden responded with, "when I become a big brother I will put this (napkin)on the baby. " We responded with that would be a very good big brother. Such a sweet kid!
Katy

Long Time No Talk

2011-02-22T20:18:00.003-06:00

Wow has it really been about 2 months since I last posted. Well some of that excuse is we have been doing lots of going and going. In January we had a 3 week vacation. Oh it was soo fun. However by the end of it we were exhausted and ready to sleep in our own home. We thank each of you for being available to see us, feed us, love us, "play" with us.....etc. It was definitely a trip worth remembering. Here are a few pics to recap our trip!!!

Big Texas at SFA campus with Hayden

Uncle Philly

Mason and Hayden....sweet Cousins!

Grandaddy Buck and Hayden

Flor and Chloe with Hayden and me

One thing else I would like to start doing on this blog is posting the fun and cute things Hayden has done or said. I will start off with this story.
This past week Hayden came in after naptime and asked me....get ready for this, "Can we cuddle?" My answer was well of course!!! How do I pass that up. So once we got him, Max, Bear, and Clifford all settled in, I hugged Hayden and gave him a kiss on the back of his head. He then in response turned around to give me a kiss on my cheek. These are the moments I live for. Hayden also today on his "My Day" sheet from Mother's Day Out said he was wonderful and that he has great manners. That tells me we are doing something right; he is doing well at applying what we are teaching him outside the home.
As I am writing this it is about 9:40. We laid Hayden down at 9. He just came out of the room and told us we were being too loud while he was trying to sleep. (shh....I blame it on Joey; he kept talking and walking and doing things; I was just sitting here with the computer)

Katy

My favorite invention right now

2010-12-14T20:51:00.007-06:00

One of Hayden's favorite things right now is probably the best gift ever. Hayden today received a book from his great grandpa and great grandma in the mail. The book was called, "Twas the night before Christmas." It is not just an ordinary book. This book is a recordable book soooo when we opened the book to read it Hayden got to hear his GGpa. We also got to hear GGma at the end. This is by far the best gift anyone could send to Hayden. It really means a lot to me that this is something we can always have and when Hayden wants to hear a grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc...we can open a book. Hayden also had received a recordable book from Grandmommy Buck that she read for him for his Birthday. Thank you to whoever invented this. LOVE IT!!!

It started snowing this past Sunday. It snowed so much that afternoon that Dollywood closed down and we didn't have chapel. The snow did not let down through the night. Schools were closed Monday (as well as Hayden's dentist appt canceled) and also today (Tuesday; which means no Mother's Day Out for Hayden and I) and I heard on the radio that schools are already closed for Wednesday. Awanas has also been canceled for Wednesday evening. So it has been a crazy week for us. Nonetheless we are getting to use a new Christmas present we received this week: Netflix. Love it!!!
Enjoy some of our Winter Wonderland pictures!

It is finished!!!

2010-12-11T15:49:00.006-06:00

The week I ran my half marathon has to be one I will not forget for a long long time. A little background on this....In 2003 I was training in hopes of doing a full marathon but due to medical problem I had to be all that on hold. Ever since I have wanted to run again. I finally had come to a time in my life I was capable of taking on the goal of a half marathon. With the help and huge encouragement from my husband this goal became a reality. I did it!! I completed my first ever half marathon!! My goal was to do the race in 2 1/2 hours. I finished the race at 2 hours and 37 minutes. I will take that!! I also got a medal for completing the race so I have that to always remember it by!! After doing the race I would love to do another one however, I am enjoying the flexibility in my workouts now and not stressing out if I don't make it 7 miles in one workout AND spending that time with my family. Believe it or not but it was a very time consuming hobby. I think the 2nd best part of the race day (behind finishing) is having my mom and dad be there to see it. Enjoy the pics!

Making sure the shoes were tied well!!Pretty sunrise starting to take place!

Still smiling at about 6 1/2 miles. One more lap to go!

Mile 13 and smile again!! I'm running so fast my hair was trying to keep up. Ha!

Here is the proof that I finished!! That is me and my time!

Half Marathon time!

2010-11-11T09:18:00.005-06:00

Its been a long journey but its coming close to the end. About 7 months ago I made a goal for myself and that was to run a half marathon before the end of the year. Now I am happy to say that I am ready and will be running in my first half marathon in just over a week. I first started training on a treadmill at the gym but the past couple of months I have started running outside and since doing that I have gotten to see/experience some great things and not so great things and I want to share my experiences with you.
I've beome more in Awe of my Savior!
--One big thing that stands out was as I was running near some fields I was able to see 3 deer running (or whichever they do; it has a bounce to it) through the pasture on a cold early morning. Just me and the deer! It was my motivation to keep going!
---Another morning as I was running a shorter run I was just about half done with it started to sprinkle. I thought to myself I better pick up my pace so I don't get stuck outside in a downpour. Here is the awesome part of this....I got back to my car and was turning off my ipod and sat down in the car. As soon as I sat down it came a downpour. It was as if God made it sprinkle on me just to let me know the big rain is coming. He held it off til I was done!!
---Last weekend I had a very bad run that made me wonder if this is something I can really do. So as I went on a run yesterday morning was kind of the comeback run after a bad one. As I was running I saw there was another runner coming towards me. As we got really close the lady said, "Good morning! You are doing a great job!" WOW! The Lord knew I needed this encouragement during my run and sent this lady to encourage me!

Seeing, Feeling, Smelling
--Unfortunately on my run I have seen some not so fun things; dead animals, broken beer bottles, trash, lots of animal poop (which also smelled) Why would someone ever want to put this trash on our Earth?
--I've also the experience of running in sleet. At first I thought it was just rain but then it hurt. Never was able to say I ran in sleet til now.
--Since about October the mornings have been pretty chilly. Luckily I park behind the bank so I am able to see on their sign how cold it is. I have started many runs when it was only 29 degrees. I would wear shorts because I didn't want to get too hot. Therefore I ran pretty good because I couldn't feel my legs.
--One hard part of running is running by the restaurants that smell so yummy. Fuddruckers was the hardest. I believe after I finish this race I will be getting me a burger from there. It has sounded so good to me since I first ran by there and got a whiff.

Learning the concept of running
As I mentioned earlier....I do have some bad running days every now and then. Luckily I haven't had too many. At the beginning of my training experience I could run 6 or 7 miles one day and within the next couple of days I was not able to run hardly 2 1/2 miles. This past weekend it was time for my long run. The plan was to run just over 10 1/2 miles. As I got to 6 miles I was really struggling. It really got me discouraged because I just ran this course the weekend before and it made me think I could not do this. I am thankful to have the support that I do from friends and family in doing this especially during the rough runs. Yesterday I was doing almost the same course but added a couple of miles and I did it just fine! Praise the Lord! I'm learning that even though I want this so bad I cannot over do myself in the process.

Last week of training is about to approach and I'm sooo excited!! Wish me luck! November 21st @8am. (TN time) is when I'll be running and I'm soo excited to have my parents, Joey, and Hayden cheering me on!!!

My Plans vs. God's Plans

2010-10-11T14:22:00.005-05:00

I would like to introduce to you Pat Summit. For those that don't know she has the most wins for a college coach in both girls and boys college basketball with over 1000 wins. She is and has been the only coach that the Tennessee Lady Vols have had. (starting there at age 22) You all know that I am a huge basketball fan and when I was younger one thing I had said was, "I would like to be the next Pat Summit." Did I give up on my dreams. Of course not but now my dreams have changed and those are the ones I am pursuing. In the course of the past 5 years God had different plans for my life than the ones I had for myself. This included getting married, having a son, staying at home. The Lord has given me a new passion and that is to be there for my family.
Being a coach takes time and commitment. Right now I am using that time and commitment to be a mommy and wife and I'm having a great time doing it. Do I miss being a coach? Of course I do but I know that if I were to do that right now I would miss something even more and that is precious time with my family. So is coaching in my future? I would love to one day be an elementary PE teacher or possibly a junior high coach. So for now I will stick to God's game plan and be the mommy and wife he has called me to be!

My Favorite Part of the Day

2010-09-21T17:05:00.009-05:00

Since Hayden has turned 3 years old his vocabulary has increased. Sometimes I wonder where he has heard certain things. Something that has become my favorite part of the day is to see and hear the interaction that Joey and Hayden have. Just to hear their conversations is so sweet and yet sometimes funny. I like to be walking through the house and glance out the back window to see Joey and Hayden running through the backyard. (both acting the same age! Ha!) One game I was able to see them play was like finding Easter Eggs; except they were finding toys that were hidden in the tall grass. (Joey mowed the next day)
Joey has been a wonderful father. I'll be honest it didn't come natural for him when Hayden was a baby (he was still wonderful) but now to watch them together playing, interacting, and talking has become the best part of my days. Days like this are the days I cherish with my family. Time to enjoy a few pictures.

He likes to call himself Chaplain at Dollywood

First day at Mother's Day Out

Hiking Clingman's Dome; Hayden did the whole mile with very little help!

Something I am thankful for.....

2010-09-09T22:16:00.008-05:00

I think back to when Hayden was just a very small baby....even before I had gone back to church with him. I literally read all the books that were on Hayden's shelf to him in just a couple of sittings. Then I think also back to the times he would play with books by himself as he bounced actively in his bouncer seat. Fast forward to now.....Hayden will sit in his room (during his playtime) and read books. We currently read a book (or 2) at naptime and also bedtime at night. We check out about 10 books each week from the library. Hayden also gets 1 new book each month (till age 5) through the Imagination Library Foundation. (google that or ask me about it) On the airplance this past week I had brought about 5 small books....we read them all. On the way to Longview from Fort Worth, my mom read books she had gotten from the library plus all the books we had already read while on the plane. (which last pretty much the whole trip) One evening while here in Longview my mom and Hayden had gone upstairs to get his PJ's......about 25 minutes later they come down the stairs. They were in the spare room (now Hayden calls "Book Room") reading books from the collection there. (which is a big collection) Hayden has been reading books in the car as we are driving somewhere, has Mamaw read him books, has NeNaw read him books, and papa and I of course too. So if there is something I am truly thankful for (along with some many other blessings) is that my son loves books!! He is hungry to learn and listen and point out what he sees. It took me a longer time in life to love reading but I'm soo thankful that he has caught on earlier. I truly believe it started from that one day that I read and read to him while he bounced away in his seat. So if you ever are having a hard time thinking of something for Hayden.....a book will do the trick.
I Love It!!!

Hayden is now 3!!!

2010-08-14T14:35:00.006-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Hayden's Birthday party. We had a friend taking pictures as we helped move things along. We had about 15 people there. We did have some that had to leave early. We had a great time, especially Hayden. He just enjoyed playing with his friend that came and showing people his bedroom. Joey and I filled his room up with balloons when he was taking his nap that afternoon. While Hayden opened presents we were able to skype with Nenaw and Papa! There are also a couple of pictures as we were leaving for his first day at Mother's Day Out today. He had a great time. Enjoy the pictures!

Flashback

2010-08-10T07:28:00.007-05:00

Today is Hayden's 3rd Birthday. It's crazy how much he has changed in just this past year! I thought for fun I would give some flash back pictures of our favorite little man....there is a party tonight so I will have pictures of that later on......

The moment we told my papa that he was going to be a Great Great Grandpa!! He was so excited..." I'm going to get to see one!!!" It was priceless!

We didn't know what we were having...besides a baby of course.

First time to hold him!

First family picture! I'm looking a little rough.

Coming home!!

Homecoming gang!!

During the first few days at home...Joey was working Lowe's 5-10am and would come home and sleep for a little bit.

About 6 weeks old I believe.

Not sure the exact age here but look at those eyes!!

Christmas 2007 picture!

WE LOVE YOU HAYDEN! HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY!! LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY MORE!

one more thing

2010-08-05T15:35:00.002-05:00

I know each time I look at the blog the music on their is annoying....so my next project is to get it off there. In the meantime just turn your computer down. Sorry!

Back to Normalcy

2010-08-05T14:15:00.012-05:00

This past July was loaded with lots of fun for the Buck Family!! Now I can say we are back to our "normal life." I started my workouts again and I am happy (believe it or not) to say that I am sore. A few miles on the treadmill Monday and Wednesday, family bike ride (totally about 6-7 miles) which included an extra 30 lbs (Hayden) and Smoky Mountain Hills. I am beat but I am glad I have the opportunity to workout. As most of you know I am training for a half marathon. If you do not know I am telling you now because this is my accountability. I want to tell people because I see it as an encouragement not to give up. Right now I am only running on a treadmill because it is ridiculously hot outside but when the fall comes I will try to do strictly outdoors to get the hills included in my runs. November 13th in Nashville is where the race is. Come cheer me on if you are in the area then.

The day of our anniversary (July 1st) Joey, Hayden and I were able to meet up with some wonderful Texas friends at the Biltmore Estates in Ashville. They even let us use their passes to go through the house and they volunteered to watch Hayden outside the house. What a nice anniversary present!!! They sendt us a Biltmore Estates photo album that had pictures of them and Hayden while they watched him!! Precious!

The beginning of July Joey's parents were able to come from San Antonio for the whole week. The plan was that Hayden would stay with them just one night so we had a date night but that ended up being just about all week which was nice. THANK YOU! Closer to the end of the week I surprised Joey with 3 great friends from Texas which was in the works since February. He was beyond shocked; he was speechless!!!

We were able to have lots of friends over for Joey's Birthday party which was a lot of fun!!! Something that also took place on Joey's Birthday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chickfila! So of course we dressed up and got our free meal!!

It was sad to see everyone go back to Texas but we know we will get to see them in the next few months again.

After they all left we had one short week to plan for my parents and grandparents arrival the following week. On top of their trip here was our family from Virginia who was also going to be coming and staying at the same place as my parents. We had a wonderful time with all of them and anxiously await the day we go to their place in VA since they are our closest family now. There was a total of 16 of us!!! Hayden and I were able to stay at my parents condo all week!! It was wonderful to be with the family the whole time. My parents even brought their Wii which we never even played (except for Harrison) because were just so excited about just being together and catching up!

My mom and Aunt Fay

My dad and Uncle Tom

I think Hayden's favorite part was getting to ride in a helicopter. My dad, cousin Kelly, and cousin Tom were with him and from the pictures and videos Hayden enjoyed every minute of it. This makes me feel better about our 2 hour plane ride to Texas in September.

My cousin Kelly who is a pilot of a KC 135 in the airforce took Hayden in her arms and really showed him what he was seeing. Thank you Kelly!!!

Here is the rest of our crew getting ready for their ride!!!

And last...we were able to make it to Cade's Cove. One of the stops to see an old cabin ended short when the Park Ranger informed us there was a bear on the trail. My family go to see it which was good.

Hayden and his great grandpa!

Hayden is patiently waiting!

Deer near Cade's Cove

Don't be jealous! This is what I get to see everyday!

After a week with my family, Joey, Hayden, and I moved into the dorm to be the houseparents for our Summer Staff. It was really pretty fun to be able to hang out with them and get to know them on a different level!
After 2 crazy weeks (yet great) we are officially living in our house again! It has been nice and I believe we have slept til close to 9 every morning. I actually had to wake Hayden up yesterday at 9:45.

Happy early birthday to Hayden! He will be 3 years old next week! Hard to believe he was this little!!!

Next on our agenda.....Hayden and I will be flying to Texas in September and spending 9 days there with family and friends! Then Joey's parents again in October!!!!

Love you all! Come see us!!

The Summer so far................

2010-06-11T13:45:00.004-05:00

The summer is here! We wanted to give you a peek at what is going on this summer so far. We have about 13 summer staff in for the summer. Half of the staff does Summer Day Camps at area campgrounds for kids. On Sundays all of the staff lead Campground Worship Services for Campgrounds in the area. We had the chance to have them all over for Ice Cream one evening.

My parents were able to come in for a visit this past weekend and stay for about 4 days. We were able to show them around some, go to Dollywood, see the famous synchronized fireflies, do some shopping, and eat some pancakes! (you can google about the fireflies) It was a very quick trip and we are glad to know that it was their "practice run" for when they come in about 5 weeks to stay for a full week. My mom's side of the family will also be meeting here during that same week. In the middle of those 5 weeks we will have Joey's parents in from San Antonio to spend a week. We are just full of lots of summer fun and can't wait to see our family!

Please enjoy the pictures below of what has been going on with us so far! We love you all and can't wait to see YOU here in Tennessee!

Things we enjoy doing!

2010-05-26T13:53:00.004-05:00

Well I have figured out how to get pictures from my phone to the computer so here are some things Hayden and I enjoying doing lately.

Riding the rides at Dollywood!!!

Playing outside at the SMRM Dorm. (Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries) The dorm is where the summer missionaries stay.

Playing at the community center so mommy can get a workout in. The teachers in there are awesome and really interact with the kids.

Watch daddy mow our big yard. (its about time for that again already)

Hayden and I enjoy going to the Pigeon Forge Library for Toddler storytime. The teacher for this is really good as well and Hayden does a great job at sitting, listening, and singing.

That's a little update on what Hayden and I have been up to!

Coming soon....

2010-05-18T19:23:00.001-05:00

I know I know.....I need to update. Have patience with me; a new post will be coming sooner than later!

Katy

What's goin on?!

2010-04-08T12:57:00.008-05:00

Ok Family (and friends who read this too)...I hope you have a drink on hand cause this post seems to be long but loaded with fun info.......

So I have had quite a few people ask how things are going up here. So I thought I would just do a post on this. Here is a list of what new has been happening.......
1) We are living in a house and we have room!!! Hayden runs everywhere! Including the yard!
2)We bought a new car and we love it!

3)We have new friends who have welcomed us with open arms so well (only one picture though) At Chickfila with Andrew and Ella.

4)Dollywood is up and running and Joey is preaching on Sundays. Hayden and I enjoy playtime up there as well; sometimes we just go up there to see a show and go back home.

5)Hayden has a new pediatrician so he gets a new patient physical done next week. Makes me feel at ease knowing we have a doctor now.
6)Hayden is growing up! He talks soooo well and we can have 2 year old conversations.
7)Hayden is at the last stages of potty training! Joey told him if he goes 5 days without an accident we are going to go ride on the trolley that passes our house everyday! He gets excited every time he sees one.
8)Easter services; Ober Gatlinburg hosted the Easter Sunrise Service and this year there were about 900 people in attendance. How awesome is that! Joey was one of 2 (I think) speakers.
9) Joey, Hayden, and I were able to take two internationals (they are on their "summer break" from college working here) from Philippines to get some ice cream and get to know them better and their culture. This Tuesday Joey and I are having a few (hoping about 5) over for dinner. Joey is really hoping to get to know the performers at Dollywood (Internationals in for Festival of Nations) but right now there is a language barrier because a lot of them do not know English.
10) Invention of SKYPE. I think that one reason I am having such an easy transition to life in TN is because of SKYPE. Because of SKYPE we are able to video chat with my parents, Joey's parents, and a few friends. Yet I do still miss them all this has really helped for us to adjust to life here knowing that we are still able to talk and see them on computer.
11) This one is more of a personal one; We have recently joined the gym and I am so proud to say I'm running 3 1/2 miles no problem. Joey and I will be running at 5K on May 1st so I'm pleased to say I'll be ready for it. (running with a stroller may change some things though) Maybe this time I can continue to increase my mileage.

This isn't something that is really new with us but this is something I'm super excited about that I found out this morning and I have to share. Pigeon Forge just had their grand opening for the Titanic Museum today. We were going to go to it because Regis Philbin was there but it was crazy crowded and it has been raining all day. (we went to old navy instead) But while driving in the car it was announced that Neal McCoy is going to be here on Saturday doing a free concert for the Grand Opening ceremonies for the weekend. Not only is he one of my favorite singers; he's a great entertainer and he's from Longview. You know where I will be.
So there it is....that is whats going on with us. There is a lot going on and I'm sure I missed something. Enjoy! We would love to hear back from all of you!

Love,
Katy

Dolly Parton Spotting!!!

2010-03-26T13:22:00.007-05:00

So we are home from our adventure from Dollywood for the day. I probably should take a nap cause I'm exhausted but there is lots of excitement going on and I want to share! This morning at Dollywood it was "Sneak Peak" for all Season Pass Holders and Dependent Passes (me). Dollywood's actual season starts tomorrow. Let me tell you; today was wet and cold. I had intentions of letting Hayden ride some or us seeing a show but it was really cold and drizzly and we got hungry to say the least. When we got on park we called Joey's Director Bill Black. There was a show that was going to be happening to welcome everyone to Dollywood for their 25th Anniversary. Bill and Cindy were so kind enough to save Hayden and I a seat like 5 rows from the front. WOW!! We had heard that Dolly was going to be making an appearance here and that this would be a great time to meet a lot of local faces and see the faces of higher authority for the Dollywood Park. One of these people who also is the most important one is Ken Bell, President of Dollywood. Yes that's right; I shook his hand. Luckily, Bill is not going to be quizzing me over this. These people also wouldn't be wearing the same clothes the next time I saw them which makes it hard.

So the show stars and it gets really dark and flashing lights and Hayden is sitting watching so well (and of course very excited too)!!! If there is action going on you will not have to worry about Hayden. His eyes are glued. We were able to get a "sneak peak" of one of the shows that will be going on for the next couple of months for the Festival of Nations as well as THE lady herself....Dolly Parton! Hayden waved at her but I don't think she saw him. Ok so I'll stop chatting and let you see the pictures.....

She had lots of wonderful things to say including a special show of some sorts where she is trying to get Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus to do it with her. As most of you know (hahaha) Dolly is Aunt Dolly on Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) and I just read this week that Dolly Parton is Miley Cyrus' godmother. Little bit of extra info for you.

Joey unfortunately missed the show but I'm hoping he was able to go again later. Rumor was it was happening at 12:30 as well. So after this show the plan was for Joey and I to eat lunch real quick and Hayden and I were going to go see "Kingdom Heirs." Some of you probably have no clue who they are. I prolly couldn't point them out if I saw them but about 15 years ago I saw this same group at Dollywood and I remember loving their show. So I thought I'm going! Well lunch ran a little longer and I didn't get to go to the show. So since it was rainy and cold Hayden and I started our journey to the car to come on home. Tomorrow the forecast says its sunshine and 65. I'm going to be brave and toughen the crowd tomorrow. Its the first official day so it will be crowded. Our goal may be to ride 1 ride and watch 1 show.

I'll close with this. A lot of you are familiar with Undercover Boss. Well this Sunday evening the President and CEO of the Herschend Family Entertainment, Joel Manby will be featured. HFE is part owner for Dollywood along with Dolly Parton. He will be working at Silver Dollar City and "Ride the Ducks" in Branson, MO. Keep watch for that this Sunday March 28th.
We'll have to get a family to record it around here; we don't have cable yet.

Love you all,
Katy

What's New

2010-03-23T11:24:00.006-05:00

Well I haven't been very prompt to update our blog. Things are going great here in Gatlinburg. We are starting to see a peek of Spring Weather. We had some snow yesterday and today its suppose to be 61 degrees. Sounds familiar doesn't it: just like Texas weather. I've enjoyed reading my friends on facebook that are in Texas talk about the weather because I know in about 2 or 3 days we will be getting that weather here.
Here are some things that are going on:
--Hayden is showing signs of OCD. Haha! I'm just teasing about this; but it quiet funny. Hayden will get his cars out to play with and well the pictures will describe it all. Hayden makes sure that he lines his cars up just perfectly. Sometimes we will walk in the room after we have all be in the living room and we will see that his cars are lined up. It is just fun to see how particular he is about this. One other thing he did was; he was sitting in the recliner with me and wanted me to hand him his OJ sippy cup. So after he got his drink I was putting it back next to my cup and he said, "turn mommy!" He wanted me to turn the cup around to where the sippy part was headed the right direction.

--Joey has been enjoying his time on Ober Ski Mountain. Its nothing like Jackson snow so he having to adjust to that and relearn this atmosphere. He is doing a great job though. The ski services for him are done and this weekend he will be at Dollywood for his first service there. There are a couple of pictures of him below with the chapel. He is going to do a great job. He said he not nervous about this but very excited to be doing this and have his group of people gathering for church!

--So since Joey has been going to the ski mountain, Hayden and I have been visiting some area churches. We have gone to 3 of them. I'm hoping that we can have a church home before Hayden and I really start regularly at Dollywood. Dollywood opens up this weekend and rumor is that Dolly Parton herself will be there on Friday for the season pass holders. Which I get to be included in that. So you know where we will be on Friday!
--The crowds are starting to come to the area. We saw our first glimpse of some traffic this past weekend. We have also been talking to new friends and learning the backroads to get around that! We have a feelings its because of Spring Break right now. I'm excited though cause there is more action when the tourist are here; otherwise it is a little quiet.
--Another thing is we started a new form of potty training yesterday. Its called run around naked. I told Hayden he could not put on a pull up or underwear. At first he was little upset about that but then he was fine. Another thing is when he goes he gets 1 m&m plus his one sticker. Yes I have broke down to candy. Its working though! He has been telling us he needs to go potty and he actually goes. If anything this is giving him practice at telling us!! So we decided to stay close to home today and he has still done great. This next part is for grandmas.....he was kind of holding his rear end and said poop so he is currently sitting on potty trying to poop but getting distracted with other things in the bathroom. No pictures for this new thing going on. I'll save your eyes on that.
--The last thing is we bought a new vehicle. We got an 02 Chevy Trailblazer. We knew we were going to need a new car by May. Joey had been using the ministry van. We happened upon a great deal on this vehicle and the salesman (fellow Southwester Seminary graduate) gave us an even better deal. We love it and Joey has found a site on the internet that is like a club for Trailblazers to do new and cool things to them. I told him; one step at a time....we need the clicker (to unlock and lock the car). So that is in the mail to us now. So far I am loving it and I like that I'm not so low to the ground. This is now my primary car and Joey has the Buick.
--Ok there is one more thing; we were able to join the Pigeon Forge Community Center Workout Facility. I'm so very excited because with the weather being the way it is I have not gotten to workout much. We joined yesterday and so I got to workout and got 2 miles of running in on the treadmill. So very excited that the month off that I had did mess up my distance. (Joey and I are planning on running a 5K May 1st so I'm about ready)

Thank you all for reading my long blog! I guess that is what happens when you wait too long between posts! Hopefully the next one won't be as long!
Love you all!

We're Here!

2010-02-28T12:52:00.003-06:00

Hi Friends and Family! We wanted you all to know that we have arrived at our desination. That is at least what our GPS says to us. Hayden has started to repeat most anything that our GPS tells us. One that he repeats most is "Cowcuwaitin Wout". Calculating Route if you are wondering. Back on subject; we have arrived at our home here in Gatlinburg, TN. Thank you all for your prayers. Continue to pray as we are settling in and as Hayden and I start visiting churches in the area. Pray for friends for Hayden and I to hang out with here.
We love you all and...if you are into video chatting we have started doing that with some and would love to do it with others as well. We are on igoogle. (for more information on how to do that you will have to chat with Joey)
Love you all!

Journey to Gatlinburg!

2010-02-03T07:51:00.005-06:00

Lots of action has been happening in the Buck household. Starts with a P and ends with a G. PACKING! Luckily we have a friend from church who likes or is good at packing so she came over yesterday along with another friends and we got 5 or 6 boxes filled. Hayden's closet, hall closet, and his under Hayden's bathroom sink are done. I realized last night that I haven't posted on here in a while. So here goes.......
The first picture is a little late but this is Hayden dressed up as a Shepherd for the Christmas story play the kids put on at the Pfluger Christmas Eve gathering. It was lots of fun and Hayden was a great Shepherd. We did have to make sure he had his sheep as he left it behind a couple of times.

This next picture is Joey and I of course. The director of SMRM (Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries) needed a picture of us and I believe it will go into the Dollywood Newsletter. The 2nd picture is of the chapel where Joey will be having Sunday services. He will have one for the employees at 9:30am and one at 11:30am for the visitors. For most that haven't heard. Joey got a position as the Asst Director of the Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries and his big responsibility is being the chaplain for Dollywood Theme Park. Hayden and I will get season passes so I see lots of playdates happening for us there. If you are planning your next vacation and you are not sure come on out to Gatlinburg, TN; we would love to have some familiar faces!

This last picture... (and I apologize for the size) I uploaded it to be the largest size and this is what I got. You may have to get a magnified glass to see it. Joey and I went up a couple of weeks ago for a few days strictly to look for a house. This was a total God thing. The owners had actually were holding another house for us to look at, however the rooms were so small that I didn't think our bed would fit in the room. When we were done looking at that house the owner said he had another one for us to look at which he didn't know was going to be available. We looked at the house and immediately knew, "this is it." Garage, big yard, big fenced in back yard, big rooms, newly remodeled kitchen and bath, separate pantry and laundry room. The funny thing is...when we turned onto the road to go look at the first house I saw this one (the one we are getting) and thought that is a cute house but there are no signs in the hard that says its for sale or rent. Well it is now the house we will be living in.

We found this house the first day. So the 2nd day we signed the lease that morning and went skiing that afternoon.
Thank you all for your prayers during this journey. It's going to be fun except for all the packing and moving part.

KT Buck

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-09T22:23:00.005-06:00

The Christmas Season is beginning!!

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas

Chapter ends, another begins

2009-12-01T16:20:00.004-06:00

Joey and I never thought we would get to say..."_______&______are coming in for graduation," nor did we ever think we would say, "Graduation is next week!" As we say those words, it just sounds like beautiful music to our ears. I know a bunch of you are thinking who goes in those blanks. It means we are getting to say someone is coming in for graduation. Not that we are surprised someone is coming. Ha!
We definitely can say that seminary years (all 4) have been hard, joyful, amazing, and rough. So much has happened in those years....we moved to the Lake Worth to get away from the "seminary bubble", we had a handsome son, began an apartment ministry, we said goodbye to part of Joey's heart (his Ram Charger), we ate rice and beans at periods of times.....But now....we can actually say Joey graduates in 10 days. Believe it or not, but we would not want to change those time for anything. We have grown from those events and have really learned how to rely on God for all of our needs. He will provide as we have seen it happen.
Now its time for a new chapter in our book. What will happen in that chapter? I have absolutely no idea. One thing is for sure though...seminary will not be involved. Please pray for us as we follow God during this next chapter. He has been opening doors for us (and many of you may know what that is about) but there are no certainties with that yet. We just ask from our family and friends that you would be continuing to pray for what happens after seminary. We also thank you all for your prayers during our seminary chapter. We were definitely able to see God work during that time.
Love to all,
The Bucks
Joey, Katy, & Hayden

Our Day Today!!!

2009-11-14T21:42:00.003-06:00

I wanted to give you a recap of our day today! It may be boring to some but I know that there are grandparents out there reading this. God truly blessed us with a great day today. This morning we got up and the first thing on the agenda was breakfast with our neighbor Pat. She took us to Cracker Barrel as a thank you for taking her to the airport. I have been dieting for about 2 weeks and have done really good. Even today at CB I did well. (no pancakes, french toast or syrup) Yogurt with granola, fruit, eggs that I split with Hayden and one small sausage.
So then Hayden got to see big planes at the airport. Then it was back home to drop Joey off so he could go do Upward stuff at the church. At the time I thought well I'll take Hayden to the potty!!! He went!!! (#1--I'm counting how many times he went) So then we left to go to the YMCA Craft fair where I got some Christmas shopping done. When we got home and I remembered to put Hayden on potty....I remembered a little to late. His diaper was wet and so I said let's get a new diaper. He said POTTY. So I sat him on there and realized after a bit that he was being quieter than normal. So I went to check on him and he showed me. He went poopoo in the potty! This is a big thing! (#2) So then Joey, me, and Hayden left to get things for the Apartment Ministry Thanksgiving dinner next week. While at Target Hayden went Potty(#3)....then at the Greek Festival he went twice (#4 & #5) !!! The cool thing was when he went the last time I asked him and he said yes that he needed to go. I decided to put Hayden in a Pull Up diaper this afternoon and he was in the same one all afternoon!!! I think we may have graduated to Pull Ups.
Hayden got a total of 6 stickers! Grandparents I know are smiling! We are too! As long as you ask him (at this point) if he needs to go he may tell you yes! Comment from Joey: "At least you don't take pictures of him with this poopy!" Goodnight to all!
Love,
Katy

I want all mothers to know

2009-10-23T15:21:00.008-05:00

This has grown to bother me but more so has concerned me about the lack of research for new moms. I really have felt for the past month that I want for mom's of babies to know this. When Joey and I found out we were going to be having a baby I really wanted to research things to find out if they were necessary or not to the baby. There are a few things that I know for sure that big No's for babies and that is what I want to talk about. Please follow the link I have posted from Consumer Reports and watch the video:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/eating-and-sleeping/sleep-positioners/sleep-positioners-for-babies-305/overview/index.htm

At the end of last year I was looking at facebook at some pictures of a friend of mine's new baby. One of the pictures I noticed the baby had a sleep positioner. I instantly felt compelled to write her and let her know of the danger for using this. When I wrote this I was scared of her thinking I was a know it all mother; of which I am not. I am still learning. She wrote me back and was so very thankful that I informed her of this and they immediately got rid of it. My inside feeling was...if something were to have happened to their little baby because of this sleep positioner and I had not have said anything...I would have lived with knowing that I knew all along. The same thing goes with crib bumpers (and even stuffed animals). I understand that new mom's are very excited about making the crib look cute. I was that mom too until I did my research. Bumper pads have no point but to make the crib look cute. Some think...well I don't want my baby to roll over and injure themselves but we have to think too; do babies really roll over so fast in their bed that they can really damage themselves. No...The concern is if they roll over during sleep into a bumper pad...they can suffocate with the lack of oxygen. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen pictures, or have seen a friend or family member who have these things just in the past year. So I have decided to post this because most of my friends and family are on facebook and I can really feel at ease of knowing I have told them all at once. I know you are probably thinking...we have those in our bed and our baby is just fine. Ok...but what if....take the precautions so you don't have to find out the hard way that they don't work. Research other things as well to find out if they are necessary or not. If you find something new let me know so I can take these precautions in the future.
Now as I said before I am not a know it all mom but I have done my research and I took these precautions...I think they are great to take.
Now that Hayden is old enough we have him in his own big boy bed with a bed rail. Since the crib is still up....I just might make it look cute now.
Thanks for you time in reading this...I do feel better that I have done my best to inform my friends and family of this.

Pumpkin Patch Time

2009-10-20T15:18:00.004-05:00

This post won't be to long.....because I need to head to the church soon to sale more books! Joey, Hayden, and I went to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch for the morning. We wanted to take lots of pics...which we did but there are only a handful of them that turned out great or what we were trying to do. It's really hard when you have a very observant child to go to something this big and new to him. Here a few of the pics that we captured.....I'll post more at another time. Love you all!

2009-10-17T09:24:00.004-05:00

Check out the pictures of our booksale. This is what we have been up to all week. It was a task....let me tell ya. The Book Sale is going on right now but its like any sale....we just kind of sit and wait on the people. So far we are doing great. Had 2 people waiting up here at 8am for the sale. One guy right now has about 30 books or so put off to the side he plans on buying.....One guy found our Theology books and just started stacking them with his pile before reading the back to find out more about it. This is huge stuff. I have two other men (who are pastors) that have boxes filled already with books. Pray the people keep coming. We have a wonderful friend,Shelby who is in love with Hayden who is watching him today. (our Children's minister's daughter who is in college) We like to say Shelby is Hayden's girlfriend. They have so much fun together. Please continue to pray for the sale!!! So far things are going well. Come see me friends if you are in Fort Worth to buy books!!!

Katy

Just a little update!

2009-10-15T22:19:00.004-05:00

Just a quick update on Hayden. He is doing great. The ER doctor said he thought it was slapcheek virus but when we left the hospital Joey and I were talking about how we know our son and knew it was an allergic reaction. We found out Tuesday morning that it was a peanut butter cookie. (he only had like half and it was small.) Joey just didn't realize it was Peanut Butter. Now we have a rule. If you don't know what kind of cookie it is...don't give it to him. This time was just scarier than the other times he has gotten a hold of PB. He is doing much better and acting himself.
We have been working all day and night on this book sale. I am glad to say that it is just about ready for the sale on Saturday minus the signs on refreshments. I plan on taking pictures tomorrow to show all what kind of work we have been dealing with. Absolutely unreal how many books this library had. We've actually sold quite a bit from church members and the sale isn't til Saturday. Luckily we all slept til 9am this morning to catch up on sleep! Well I need to head to bed...Happy Birthday Mr. Joe! Sorry we forgot to call!! Won't make excuses but we are hoping you got our card and that you had a wonderful day! We will talk to you soon!
Love,
Katy

Weekends of Fun!!!

2009-09-26T21:16:00.013-05:00

Well the Buck family has had two great weekends in a row. Not that we really have bad weekends. Which I guess last time I talked about a weekend it was when I was sick a day and a half and cut my finger really bad. Any weekend is better than that.
Last weekend (Sept 20th) was our annual family reunion. I'm not sure of what year it is but I know they have done it since I was born (surely) and I'm 27 now. (They need to figure out the year) This year we had it at someone's house so it was soo much better. We usually have it at a city park and we are always having to leave by a certain time. This year we could stay as long as we wanted. Which in our case it was 3:00pm because Hayden was 2 hours past naptime. Needless to say there was some good barbque, lots of sides, and tons of deserts, games, fellowship, reuniting, and volleyball. Also there was a John Deere tractor (what Hayden called it) ride for Hayden. Here are some pics of our great time!

This past weekend Joey's parents came into town. Ms. Suzie usually comes once a month but Mr. Joe was ready to see Hayden again. Thursday night our project was to make almost 5o flags for our leadership conference that we do every year. We volunteered to do the flags to take off some responsibilities from others. It was a tough job (mainly just took a while) but I'm glad we were able to do it. Friday afternoon Joey and I headed for Granbury to have a "date day." So we went and stayed at Pomegranate House and Cottages. This is the website. http://www.pomhouse.com/ If you go to that website and find the Garden Cottage; that is the one we stayed in.

Joey and I decided to go to a place on the square where you can paint pottery. It takes longer than you think. We decided to do a "birthday" plate. We wanted a special plate that when it was your birthday or something worth celebrating...you got the "Let's Celebrate" plate. After that we went back, watched a movie, and fell asleep while the tv was on and called it a night. Goes to show just how tired we were. The pics below are the process of us making the plate.

Thank you Mr. Joe and Ms. Suzie for coming this weekend and allowing Joey and I to get away for the night to just be together. We truly needed it. It was great to get back home to Hayden though! What a joy!!! Love you all!

Can we keep the great weekend streak going?.....I think we can....Hayden and I are headed to Longview! A post will be coming soon for that!

coming soon

2009-09-23T22:32:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone!
I wanted you to all know that videos should be coming in soon. We think the camera man is in the final stages of repairing our video camera. I've learned that that is something you do not want to be without when you have a toddler going through new things.
Recently he started putting a couple of words together, saying yes and nodding his head yes, and this week he has started saying oh. <--- used in a sentence. Hayden came running in my room wondering where daddy was...."daddy, daddy?" "He is at church right now." "oh"
It is sooo funny. I think most toddlers would just walk away from the conversation but Hayden says...."oh." This is why I'm hoping the video camera will be ready soon.
Katy

Not my weekend!

2009-09-12T22:10:00.005-05:00

So this weekend hasn't been that great. 1st) Friday started off great. I got off early from work (due to no show appointments) and headed straight for Just Between Friends consignment sale. If you haven't been to one!!! You should try it sometime. As soon as I left from the place my tummy wasn't feeling right. I thought it was because it was 1:30pm and I hadn't eaten lunch. So I started munching on some animal crackers that I had in Hayden's bag. That wasn't helping. So we finally get home and I lay Hayden down for a nap and I immediately got sick. So yesterday from about 2:30pm til 9pm, me and our toilet had some bonding time. After I got sick at 9pm I just cried and had Joey pray for me...I slept a little rough but needless to say no more toilet time. I finally started feeling better after naptime today! 2nd) My brother in law and sister in law are coming tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. We haven't seen them in a year and we are in need of a great visit. So being the planner and "organizer" that I am I decided to get as much done this evening so that in the morning I will just throw our meal together in the crockpot. Low and behold on the last carrot I was cutting...it rolled away and I got the knife to the finger. It was very bad and Joey had to finish cutting the carrots (with a newly cleaned knife) but only after he got me taken care of! Not to gross anyone out but I hadn't seen it bleed like this since I cut my thumb in high school and had to get stitches. We got it to stop bleeding and Joey wrapped it up while I still kept a cold compress on it. A couple of things I took away from this event were...I didn't get any blood anywhere else...I grabbed the dishtowel very fast. I was very impressed and of course Joey was too. I also learned that this just isn't my weekend.
We are now winding down our Saturday lazy day! I'm starting to see some "personal" sunlight. My tummy is feeling great and I was able to eat some dinner. (still not a lot but I was full) The other is my finger is wrapped up and I'm able to use my hand. Thoughts that ran through my head were when I was younger I had stitches in my leg and so my mom covered my leg with saran wrap so that I could slippin' slidin' outside with my friends.
Love you all! Hope ya'll are enjoying your Saturday! Ours was pretty wet but we needed it!!!

Katy

Ha Ha Ha!

2009-09-04T14:09:00.006-05:00

Even though Hayden's nose has been a little stuffy and his little cough is back...he seems to be sleeping well at night. This morning at 5am while we were all sound asleep (or so I thought) I hear Hayden's door shut. I thought ooooh noooo. So of course its dark in the hallway and I didn't want to scare him as I came out of our room at the same time...so I just reached out and found him and picked him up. I noticed that he also had found his sippy cup (which stays at the end of his bed at night). So somethings that I noticed were that his closet door was shut (I have been leaving the light and cracking the door for just a little light for him) and I also noticed a couple of books were now on the floor and looked like they had been moved around a little. So I informed it was still night night time and laid him back down in bed. I turned off his closet light to make it real dark so he understood night night time. So for the next hour I laid in bed just thinking...he is going to come out again..I just know it. After a few coughs....Hayden was back asleep. I just kind of laugh at it cause.... this little guy sleeps so wonderfully at night and sometimes sleeps til 9am...what made him seem wide awake at 5am. Was it the closet light on that made him think it was day time? Joey asked me this morning....Was Hayden sleepwalking last night? I said nope...just awake. What a silly boy we have.
Love you all!

Imagine this!

2009-09-02T15:46:00.003-05:00

Ok friends and family....I want you to imagine this with me because I didn't take a picture. On Monday night after we had dinner and ran an errand we went to a nearby middle school to do some exercising at the track. Joey watched Hayden while I ran and this is what I want you to imagine. Each time I got to the 50 yard line (on each side of the track) I had my own cheerleaders. Hayden and Joey were running side to side as I passed by and would stand there clapping and yelling go Mommy!! After a couple of time Hayden knew what he was doing. Just to see both of them clapping there while I was running was soo sweet!!! I know you can imagine that through your heads right now. What a fun sight!!!
Katy

Family Pic

2009-08-30T22:38:00.004-05:00

Here is a family pic from this weekend.....minus my daddy...he had to take the picture!!! Enjoy!! Oh yes...Even Riley posed!

What a great week!!

2009-08-29T21:49:00.008-05:00

I can officially say we had a great week!!! It's so fun to see Hayden grow and become a young boy. Although I do miss those moments of being able to rock him as a baby, I am enjoying being able to converse with him and laugh at his great personality. My parents like to tell me I am raising an actor. As we have now hit the 2 year old mark we are learning to make some changes in how we are doing things. At the time the adjustments are pretty rough but we are starting to figure things out and things are getting a little smoother. One fun thing he is starting to do is put a couple of words together.....this evening he said, "bye PaPa," and he said "bye NaNaw." We weren't sure what he would call my mom but I guess he chose NaNaw!

Last weekend we able to go visit some friends of ours who live on the other side of Dallas. We had a great visit. Hayden got to drive a real tractor (riding lawnmower) and swim in the lake with his regular clothes on!! Thanks Adam and Rachel for having us out to your home!!

This past Monday we went to a Fort Worth Cats game (minor league) so we have a few pics that captured the event! Hayden and his friend Jordan got to run around the bases after the game! We have proof!

This weekend Joey and I (actually more so me) managed to triple book ourselves. My mother-in-law and I got tickets to go to the Beth Moore Simulcast together this weekend. I did not check my schedule very well because we were throwing a community pool party at the apartment complex at the same time, and last was to run an errand that would be a little hard with Hayden. God had everything planned out though. My parents decided to spend their 34th wedding anniversary in Fort Worth. This allowed Hayden to have some quality time with them and his new little cousin, Mason. This also allowed for me to renewed this weekend by hearing a message from Beth Moore AND we had a great turnout for our pool party and all 17 pizzas were gobbled up. Praise God for his planning this weekend!! I will have pics coming of our visit with my parents this weekend!

Last but not least.....Hayden is sleeping in a big boy bed. I thought this transition was going to be a rough so I just haven't decided to attempt it. While my mother-in-law was here she had put him down for one of his naps and she laid him in his big boy bed. He had no problem going to bed!!! Praise God! Since then he has gone down just fine for bedtime and naps. He looks so cute cause he his soo small and his bed seems so big!! BYE BYE Crib!!!

Hayden is now 2!!!

2009-08-12T21:44:00.002-05:00

We had Hayden's Birthday party this past weekend in Longview. We wanted for Hayden's Great Grandparents to attend his birthday and since they don't travel much anymore...we brought the party to all of them!! We had a great weekend and Hayden was spoiled rotten!! We are thankful that our parents allowed us to do this party at their home. We had a great time and we know Hayden did as well. Thank you to all that came to the party. It meant a lot to us that you could take time out to celebrate Hayden turning two!!! Enjoy the pics!!!

Now we know!!!

2009-08-02T21:51:00.003-05:00

I have a little update on our little guy.........Now we know that Hayden is officially allergic to Peanut Butter. He got into the kitchen (at a friends house during Bible study) and reached up on the counter and grabbed a peanut butter cookie. I wasn't sure weather to stay or not cause we weren't sure if him getting sick about 1 1/2 months ago was due to peanut butter or heat. Well after about 30 minutes of him running around he ended up throwing up right in front of me. I felt awful cause it was on my friend's couch and floor. He then sneezed off and on for about 20 more minutes and is back to himself. But now we know.....Peanut Butter will be out of the question for Hayden. Sad day! Joey was saddened this happened because him and I both like to eat PB & J sandwiches. We still will...just won't show Hayden. Love you all!!!!

A little heart to heart

2009-07-28T22:18:00.005-05:00

So today was a pretty good day. Joey dropped Hayden and I off for our first appointment this morning. The appointment was at 9:10am and we did not get done til 10:30ish. Soo because that went way long we had to cancel our 11:00am appointment that Joey and I had at the seminary. (we weren't going to have enough time to drive Hayden to a friends house and make it to the seminary) So we decided to drive to Burleson (we are in a rent car right now; we can go unlimited miles) to take our video camera to the shop. So when we were about halfway Joey realized he didn't know where it was; so I make a few phone calls and end up discovering that the place is closed this week. However, I think the trip turned out better than expected because they had a "The Children's Place", which is a very cute kids clothes store. We got Hayden his own backpack that fits his size, and a couple of polo style shirts for church for only 4 dollars each. (big sale) Then we went to visit our friends Todd and Tonya Harden who actually took us to lunch too at a really yummy "hole in the wall" kind of place. So a the purpose of our trip changed and we had lots of fun.

So here is where the heart to heart talk comes into play.....Marcie came over to help me put a liner on Hayden's curtains. (to make it darker during naptime) Soo there was lots going on for Hayden and so by the time for him to go to bed...it was not in his plan because there were things going on. He kicked and fussed and cried. (because of this he was going to go to bed without storytime) After about 15 minutes more of him being upset I went in there to calm him down. (Joey already had but all he said was momma, momma) I figure he learned a lesson after this 15 minutes later (of just crying) . So we read a story about the Good Samaritan. Afterwards I said, "Ok Hayden can you go give Ms. Marcie a hug now and tell her night night...". His response was nooooo....book. So here is the heart to heart talk. We talked about how everyone was going to go to bed; Ms. Marcie, Momma and Daddy, LarryBoy, our books, our toys. I talked to him about needing to get rest so that we can play tomorrow. I also told him he was 45 minutes passed his bedtime and it was almost our bedtime. (The talk seemed soo much longer at the time but now it seems like I didn't say that much at all) So then I asked him again..."Are you ready to give Ms. Marcie a hug and tell her goodnight?" He got off the couch and walked over to her and hugged her and gave her kisses. Then he started giving Joey hugs and kisses (and he said he was sorry); he hugged Joey for a couple of minutes straight. Then it was my turn for hugs and kisses. Then we went into his room and he laid down and went to bed. I am not the best mother but after that...I felt so much accomplishment of just talking it out and allowing him to understand the reason for going to bed. I know ya'll may think Hayden never cries or throws fits...but he does and we are learning to walk through those rough moments with a lesson learned.
Goodnight to all and we love you!!! Sorry so long

Boys just wanna have fun

2009-07-12T22:39:00.003-05:00

So this evening I was coming into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Now I know that Hayden likes to climb up on our bed and jump but I didn't know Joey did too. I came into the room only to find both of my boys standing on our bed jumping. Hayden was having a blast. I believe Joey was too. It was quite fun to watch them. The fun ended when they were laying on the bed and Hayden and daddy bumped heads. Hayden was saying "hurt" as he was holding his head and then pointed to daddy like it was his fault. Fun times....just thought y'all would want a smile on your face!
Love you all!

Cow Appreciation!

2009-07-10T13:39:00.004-05:00

So you may know but you may not know. Chickfila has what they call Cow Appreciation Day. If you come dressed as a cow you eat for free. That is huge because Chickfila isn't the cheapest food. Sooo it was my great idea to have this as an event with our apartment complex. We even passed out cow masks to encourage people. We used the church bus to take residents to chickfila for free and if they were dressed like a cow, they could eat for free. We had one resident come. She didn't dress like a cow...she just wanted a ride and the fellowship. Hayden and I met Joey and Pat there with our cow costumes on. I thought it was a great idea.....other residents I guess did not. You will notice in the picture that Hayden looks a little concerned. The reason is...right as we got there, two huge (dressed up) cows were coming out to greet people. Hayden was terrified. (you can see one that is right behind us) At one point...I felt him shaking. He would just say "no, no, no" if we got anywhere near them. Looks like he is taking after me on this. I used to be terrified of anything dressed up like this also.

The next couple of pictures are of Hayden and Asa. Most of you know who Asa is, this is Hayden's best buddy. Cara, Asa, Hayden, and I were best of friends and did lots of stuff together. However, they moved back to Oklahoma in May and so Asa and Cara came for a visit earlier last week and stayed the night. They played and played and played soo hard that the day Asa and Cara left....Hayden took a 3 hour nap. It was great to see them. We miss them dearly and look foward to another visit from our buddies. In the bath picture they were both reaching to Cara for a bath toy. Too cute!

It's raining pennies!

2009-07-06T13:12:00.002-05:00

Ok so this post has nothing to do with Hayden, nor does it have to do with any little trip we just took.....I was coming home today from the YMCA and as I was in our parking lot waiting on a car to back out I saw all these little spots on the ground. I pulled into the parking spot right next to this "find." I looked harder and noticed it was pennies!! That's right now...normally I wouldn't get excited over finding just a few pennies but I found $1.93 worth of pennies today!! I think Hayden and I are going to take Joey for a snowcone!! This even beats the quarter I found the other day on the ground! Hope you all had a great Independence Day, also known as the 4th of July!

Love you,
Katy

Peanut Butter update

2009-06-23T22:26:00.004-05:00

I wanted to give all of you an update on Hayden's possible Peanut Butter allergy. As ya'll probably remember, last fall when visiting with a friend and her little girl, Hayden had some kind of reaction. His nose and eyes were very itchy with a runny nose. We gave him benedryl and he was fine. Our only thought was that the little girl Hayden was playing with had had some peanut butter earlier and was very lovey on Hayden. So from then on we have decided not to give him peanut butter for a while. Well today I thought we would try actually eating it. I gave him just a peanut butter (sandwich) cracker after he got up from his nap. I only gave him one so I didn't overdo the PB for the first time. Well he seemed fine and so we headed up to the YMCA so that I could workout. As we were walking on the sidewalk to go in, Hayden threw up very badly. It very much scared me because it was a lot and he hadn't done that before. Evidently someone saw us because I called inside (on my phone) to see if someone could come help me and one of the front desk persons was already walking outside with cleaning spray. (only to find out he needed a hose instead)
So I called the doctor. (I never actually got to go in the Y) She said that it could be a reaction to the peanut butter but not to worry yet. She said if he stayed sick throughout the night to then bring him in in the morning. (it was 4:30 at this time) She also said not to do PB again til a later date. (I'm hesitant on ever doing it) From that point on til about 1 hour later Hayden was sneezing constantly which seemed to also have been a reaction symptom. Without the sneezing my other thought was him throwing up could have been from the heat. I do need to mention this though. When we were walking up to the YMCA on the sidewalk (seconds before getting sick) Hayden was jumping over the cracks. (Suzie, you know what I'm talking about) So he was feeling fine. Then when we got home he was just himself. Jumping on me, eating, and playing! I say (type) all this because if you keep Hayden ever (mostly to the grandparents) keep Peanut Butter or nuts of any kind out of the menu (not that ya'll have put it in there but you know what I mean) and also to pray for our little guy; we hope it was just a little reaction and he is all better. Love you all!!! Hope to see you soon!
Love,
Katy

Our trip to Longview!!

2009-06-15T22:06:00.012-05:00

So Hayden and I just got back from a wonderful trip to Longview to hang out with my family. Our weekend started out great because not only were we at my parents but my grandparents (Hayden's great grandparents) came over for dinner. I love watching my grandpa on the ground with Hayden playing. Hayden of course loves it and he would every once in a while laugh uncontrollably. Here are a few pics to the capture the silliness and the wonderful visit! Unfortunately I don't have any of my Grandma McCaw.....here are Grandma Martin and PaPa McCaw.

Saturday we got to hang out and go shopping with my mom....here are few pics to capture our time hanging out at the house before our shopping adventure! Notice my dad laughing pretty hard in the pic with Hayden......I was about to take a pic of them eating (just acting natural) when Hayden turned toward me and soo clearly said CHEEESE!!!! My dad laughed so hard!
We also went bowling upstairs in the hallway. That was a lot of fun. Hayden decided to cheat (haha); after he would roll (or throw) he would crawl to the pins and knock them over. Mom and him also birdwatched in the backyard!

The main event of the weekend was going to the Gladewater Roundup Rodeo. I wanted to take Hayden and I was hoping he would enjoy it.....boy did he ever. We had no problems and watched it from 8:15 til 10:30 when it was over. Yes! We were out that late with him....he took a wonderful nap on Sunday afternoon so its ok. Here a few pics from the rodeo.

Sunday afternoon Hayden got to play in his new water toy that he got from his great grandparents. He had a wonderful time. It is a huge beach ball that hooks up to the waterhose and spits out water. Everytime Hayden would run through it he would squeal.

I have a video coming of Hayden playing with this ball....I just can't get it working so I'll have to ask my wonderful husband to help me. To end the weekend...my dad brought us along with my grandparents to Fort Worth. My grandparents came so that they could see Mason, my 3 month old nephew. You will notice in the last picture that Hayden is shaking Mason's hand. Such a grown boy.

House full of sick Bucks

2009-06-08T14:05:00.005-05:00

Well we had a rough weekend with Hayden. (I'll back up just a little bit) Last week his allergies were doing much better with just a cough at night and that was it. So I decided Thursday not to give him his allergy meds. Then Friday he had a runny nose again so I decided to start him back on his meds before it got worse. Friday night, Saturday night, and last night were all rough nights. Horrible coughing, fever, crying...then during the day he would seem fine. Played a lot but was real thirsty. So since last night was a rough night I decided he needed to go to the doctor especially since we are going into Longview this weekend. I wanted him to be better. Not only did Hayden have a rough night but Joey's throat has started bothering him and I have a small sore throat and feel a little achey now. So I took Hayden to the doctor and she said it was probably just too early to take him off his allergy medicine and said that he has a real bad sinus infection and gave us a prescription that he will take for 7 days on top of his allergy medicine. Pray for the Buck family that it doesn't get any worse than it is. Also pray for rest! Hayden and I met up with a friend (Marcie) today for lunch since she was in the area. We went to Firehouse Subs. They give all the little kids firehats so here are couple of Hayden. One of the pics has him wearing his hat backwards but I don't think he realized it. Enjoy!

Coast 2009

2009-06-06T22:49:00.002-05:00

Well I have finally gotten pictures from the coast up. Joey, Hayden, and I enjoyed a great relaxing week with Joey's parents in Corpus Christi/Port Aransas. Hope ya'll enjoy all the pics!!

Air Band video

2009-06-03T14:07:00.006-05:00

We are now back from vacation. I will post more on the vacation with pics soon. I wanted to share a video with ya'll of my husband and son putting on a show with their air band for me one afternoon. Please excuse the 28 year old jumping around....look for the little guy.
Also you can notice the distractions that Hayden has. At about 1 minute you will notice Hayden stop what he is doing and asks for a drink. It was hilarious!

The Gardens

2009-05-09T13:24:00.006-05:00

Well this past week my friend, Cara, and I decided take our boys who are also best buds to the Botanical Gardens here in Fort. We got lots of great pics, however after about 1 1/2 hours we were dying cause it was hot and humid and were ready to go. The boys were sweating and needless to say, we were too. Luckily we were there in the morning so we got to be there for a little bit at least to capture these great pics of Asa and Hayden.

To explain the last two.....we were trying to get a pic of them with the pretty background and the only way we could get them to stand in that area was for them to play ring around the rosey. So this is when they all fall down. Didn't get a real good pic of the background but that is ok. The last is just a flashback to when we took Hayden to the gardens at the end of 07. So it was almost a year and a half ago. He has definitely grown a lot! Enjoy the pics!

Just having some fun!

2009-05-03T21:37:00.008-05:00

Each time I look at Hayden's pictures from just last week to this week, I am truly amazed at what a difference short hair looks on him. He just seems to be more of a young boy now. Well we have definitely gotten to spend lots of a family time this weekend. It's been great. We were suppose to spend it at Mayfest but the swine flu kind of ruined our plans! We actually went Saturday morning to our church's lake property to try and get some good pics of Hayden in the wildflowers. We got a few but it was also kinda gloomy outside. We have taken lots of pics with the new camera lately. Pics below include Healthy Kids Day, time at home, playground, lake property. Enjoy! (bare with me as I am still learning how to use this blogspot)

Wearing daddy's boots!

Healthy Kids Day with Asa!

Hayden the Model!

2009-04-24T22:20:00.005-05:00

I gave Hayden a haircut today! Here is the new Hayden! He looks like such a young boy. Just an update on him....he is doing much better than last week. He is very happy and sleeping well again at night; not even making a peep! Thanks for your prayers!

We feel good!

2009-04-21T07:51:00.003-05:00

Hayden had a tough weekend. Not sure what was really wrong....was his throat, teeth, allergies? I guess we'll never know. Saturday night was a very bad night. I would have to say it was the worst night I have had with Hayden. I think the main reason was I was already tired from getting up at 4:30am twice that week and hadn't really gotten caught up. I had thought of staying home during Sunday School to get some rest but Hayden was acting as if he didn't feel good. So we stayed home for a little while. Then he would act himself, then he would cry...he cried when I opened the door to feel the weather and closed it back. I thought if you are going to go outside we are going to church. So here I am sleep deprived with a child who may be sick going to church. (Part of me needed a break away from Hayden after a night like we had) That afternoon I did get a 2 hour nap in while Hayden napped and then I stayed home while Joey and Hayden went to church that afternoon.
The best thing about Sunday was that Marcie had called me at about 9pm and asked if I wanted to get some ice cream!!! I was more excited about girl time. Cara met us up there too! We had a wonderful time just chitchatting with one another. Even better thing was that my wonderful husband cleaned up the kitchen very well and also that Hayden slept the entire night!!! woohoo!!! (Joey reminds me that he put him to bed that night) Soo...I know we had lots of friends praying for us; that Hayden would feel better and that I would get some rest.....well he slept both that night and last night so perfectly and yesterday he was a very happy kid and I feel rested. So thank you for your prayers! I just wanted to give an update for all the grandparents!!
Katy

Hayden's Hospital Trip

2009-04-16T15:26:00.014-05:00

Well we are home and doing well. I wanted to share with you the update on our little guy and a few pictures from our day! (with our new camera I might add) Well we were to be at the hospital at 6am this morning. When I got Hayden up this morning I thought he felt really warm. He had already started doing his night whimpering and I thought it was because of his stuffy nose. The sad part was that in sign...he was saying he wanted a drink and I couldn't give him his sippy. So we got to the hospital and put his little gown on...the nurse came and took his temp....100.8 My first thought was oh no...they aren't going to do it. The first couple of pics are when we got to the hospital. Since he wasn't feeling good and also since we got him out of bed at 5:15am...he just wanted to lay there.

He eventually fell asleep......

After the nap!

They had to contact the doctor to make sure to go ahead (because of the temp) and give him his meds to knock him out. The doctor said that it was probably because of his ears and said go ahead. The surgery began right at 7:50am and was complete at 8:10. The doctor came out and gave us this report. Hayden did have another ear infection (4 in 2 months) and so they drained out the pus from that, then also cleared out his sinuses (he was stopped up yesterday and today), and also noticed growth on his tonsils. They are getting those tested and the results will be back Thursday. Could be strep. He will be on a medicine through the weekend to help with that til we find out Monday what it is or was. Tubes were put in and adenoids were taken out. We were able to leave the hospital a little after 10:20 I believe. We were home and resting at 10:50am. Hayden got up at about 1 and eventually had 2 bowls of jello, 1 bowl of applesauce, and some mash potatoes. The little guy was hungry. At about 2:30 Hayden was ready for another nap. I'm going to add a few more pics below.

Thank you for your prayers.

2009-04-07T13:43:00.005-05:00

Last September or so our neighbors, The Turners, moved to Amarillo. We were very sad cause Miranda became a very dear friend to me and Hayden and their daughter, Eva, were inseparable. I told Miranda that whenever they came into town to come by because I didn't want to he kiddos to forget each other. I captured some of their fun today! (The first one is of their hug but my camera got the tail end of it. For the video...I told Hayden to give Eva kisses! She gave them to him instead.

2009-04-07T13:36:00.005-05:00

We are doing so much better. We had a great night last night. He is still waking up a little earlier than normal but that is ok. No crying of pain in the middle of the night though so that was great. I wanted to post a couple of pictures from Sunday when he didn't feel good at all. The first was when I was holding Hayden and sat down on our bed...he crawled onto the bed and just fell asleep. He was like that for a couple of hours. The next one was after his long nap and dinner he got a cookie because he ate so well. This is him with his cookie in his mouth showing off his cottonball! I think the medicine had started kicking in!

Update on Hayden and Nash Farm

2009-04-05T22:17:00.006-05:00

Sooo its been a rough couple of days. Friday we went back to Hayden's doctor for a recheck on his ear that had the infection 2 weeks prior. She said he had fluid in both of his ears and it would only lead to an ear infection. Sooo of course that would happen on the weekend. He wasn't acting himself first of all and then last night and this afternoon he just cried. Luckily we have a great place in the DFW called CareNow. It's an after hours doctor's office. So we went up there and sure enough he has double ear infections and inflammation in his throat. So he is now on medicine for the ear infections, drops that help numb the inner ear, a steroid for a couple of days, and motrin when needed. Poor guy!!! Will the 16th ever get here? We are getting tubes put in that day. I've heard from sooo many moms that they all saw immediate difference in their child. We are hoping and praying for that also with Hayden. He did act a little better after he fell asleep on our bed. He did eat dinner which is huge and laughed some. He also fell asleep tonight without crying. (last night he did that for 1 hour)

Saturday morning before Hayden started to really feel bad Joey, Hayden and I went to Nash Farm in Grapevine for some family fun. We captured some of what we did. From top to bottom: The first pic of Hayden and the guy that drove the tractor for our hayride. Very Fun. The 2nd one is Hayden posing on a pony. Giddy up! The 3rd one is of our cowboy in action. The 4th one is daddy and Hayden saying hi to a cow! The last one is Daddy and Hayden watching a sheep get shaved. Hayden also got to brush a few goats. He absolutely loved it that he started to run back over to it when we were done. Then he did the same thing when he got done riding his pony. Both of which he was scared to do at first but ended up loving it! Ok I've said enough. Keep Hayden in your prayers for the next couple of weeks that he will get better these infections and be ready for his minor surgery!

2009-04-01T13:56:00.005-05:00

Well we went to the ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) specialist today. Very informative. We will probably be doing tubes in Hayden's ears as well as taking out the adenoid. Hayden has had a lot of runny nose issues. The doctor thinks that could be from the adenoid clogging up and not draining properly which in turn is probably causing the fluid in his ears which could possibly be leading to him not saying a lot. We go back to his regular Pediatrician on Friday and will double check with her on all this and then make our appointment for a minor procedure. Not to worry...This takes a matter of only a few minutes and was told that Hayden would be into everything within a few hours. Pray for us as we will be making this step to help Hayden. Goodbye earaches and maybe less runny noses!!

Say a little prayer

2009-03-20T08:48:00.004-05:00

You will notice with the top pic that Hayden has figured out to smile for all the pics that get taken......He also has to scrunch his eyebrows to do it.
Well Hayden started off with a fever off and on this week. I thought it was because of another molar coming in. Well two nights ago was very rough. He had a blazing temperature and wimpered like every 30 minutes. So he ended up sleeping in the recliner with me. I took him to the doctor and he has a horrible ear infection (again; he had one in the same ear about a month ago). So she said when he came back in 2 weeks for a recheck and it wasn't better he would need to go see an ENT. (ears, nose, and throat specialist) Well then I asked if we should be concerned that he isn't talking a whole lot she said....let's go ahead and get him into an ENT. Soo pray for our little guy. The only thought going through my head about this is....."Will he have to get tubes in his ears?" On a good note....he didn't make a peep all night last night so he must be feeling better! I'm headed to Longview this weekend!!! I'm excited. (I haven't been since Christmas)
Have a great weekend.

Biker Boy

2009-03-16T21:44:00.001-05:00

We had an event this evening in which a neighbor drove his motorcycle to and so Hayden had the joy of sitting on it. Notice the big smile on his face!

The Buck's weekend!

2009-03-15T22:04:00.004-05:00

What a weekend! I went to a church library conference this weekend and learned soooooo much. If you don't know I've volunteered to get the library at our church up and running again. It's going to be a huge task. Since I had the conference and Joey had school and work my wonderful mother in law came in to be with Hayden. It is such a blessing to have her come cause it allows me to rest and just be a mommy and wife to my family without the extra responsibilities. Thanks Smom!

You may also know that my little nephew Mason is in the NICU. He was born almost 2 weeks ago and will still be in NICU for a little while longer. He is fine but they are waiting for him to develop a little more before he can go. He was born about 6 weeks early at a great weight but yet still a preemie. Mommy is doing great.

This evening I found out some very sad news. The church my family went to prior to the one they are at now had a minister that greatly impacted our family and true servant of Christ. He was my brother's youth minister, a friend of mine's dad, old coaching buddy of my dad, and the person who baptized me when I became a Christian. If you think about it as you pray please pray for the family of Dick Stagner. He will be greatly missed!

New Kid on the block

2009-03-07T15:07:00.003-06:00

This is our new love in life......Hayden. He is currently 18 months old! Isn't he just adorable!

2009-03-07T09:31:00.001-06:00

Ok it is now official. I have now joined the blog world. Joey and I both have family that live far and so I thought this would be perfect for them to be able to keep up with their grandson. This way they don't have to be a part of facebook or myspace in order to do this. I know it will take a little time before I get the blog to look real cute so if you would like to throw some advice to the new girl on the block go ahead.