Where we left off...

We are back home, still recovering from our wonderful time with Miss Maddie, Candice and Rob. The rest of the trip was more fun times at the beach, sand everywhere you look or stand, it was even in my gum. Candice was great about organizing our food and cooking for us. On Wednesday we went to the Giggling Mac? Something? We called ahead and there was an hour and 1/2 wait so the guys went on a head to wait it out for us while mom's and kids got ready. It was a fun place to hang out, Adron found golf, not sure how he found it, really family friendly place. When you go to a place to eat on the beach you should really order something fishy, but Candice and I don't like seafood. Thank goodness, because it was $17 a plate for friend shrimp. OUCH! I got a side salad, which was really pretty good, and then ate off of everyone else's plates. Adron was to excite to eat because there was golf on the main floor. Houston was busy gagging on something green he found and Miss Maddie wasn't to interested in her grilled cheese sandwich so I helped her out on that. Next time we won't go back there, Candice's cooking was way better! Also by Wednesday night the girls were crying because they won't be seeing each other for months again. The boy's were already tried of this; they reminded us that we had many more days to hang out with each other before the trip was over.

Back up on Wednesday went to the beach, it takes about 30 min to get the outside stuff ready, umbrella’s, chairs, blankets ect. By the time that's all up, you get the kids out there and they last about 30 minutes and they wanna go in. The guys took them in, and Candice and I got to hang out on the beach. I can't sit still so I spent my time in the water getting beat up. Candice enjoyed her book in the shade (she had gotten way to much sun the day before) I had fun in the water, riding those waves is a blast!

Thursday we went back home. Ordered pizza, went to Target and crashed. Candice and I woke up in the night getting sick.. The only thing that we had ate different then everyone else was Strawberry/mint gum. Watch out don't chew it!!! We spent the rest of the morning getting sick, then the afternoon sleeping. Not the day we had planned.

What we really wanted to be doing:
Swimming
Shopping (great shop I wanted to take her to called Hand picked)
Cleaning
Going out to eat
Hear some music in the evening.

We ended up going to "Chic-a-lay" (that is what Adron calls it) for some soup; we hadn't had anything to eat all day! That made me fill better, I even cleaned after that...

Saturday Nathan took them to the airport for a sad good bye, then it was off to a wedding and some friends came over to swim with us.

Thanks Candice for cleaning all our clothes, and being such wonderful guest! Can't wait until the next trip! We got to get that shopping in!

Today we are just hanging out. We had a great church service this morning. Houston got to hang out with me because he wasn't aloud in his class because he had to many poopy diapers this morning. It was nice to have him sit with me. He was soooo good. Everyone here is asleep, we have life group tonight, I'm thinking about closing my eyes for a while.

Check out our Malabo children

Still having a good time...

Hello from the beach

We just wanted to say hello and give you a update on our trip. The kids are having so much fun together again. Maddie is fun to be around and it's really fun to have a girl in the mix. We spent yesterday at the beach, hanging out at our place and walking to the ice cream shop (then the guys had to run back to get the cars because the babies were to tired)

A few high lights of the boys:

Houston got 2 more teeth in so he has had a hard time in the car, screemed for 2 hours. Candice and I got in the car with Adron because we couldn't handle it any more. He is doing better eating everything off the floor then gaging on it later.. ok maybe not much better

Adron learned a new dive, he calls it the "Praying to God dive" He puts his hands together like he is praying and then thinks he dives in. I don't have a picture of this yet I was in the pool with him. Adron and Nathan went to play some golf, Adron said "I don't wanna go to du beach i'd play golf better" with this proud look on his face. Last night when we went to the golf there was a long line at every hole. Not much to do here but play golf and eat.

I am taking a break with the babies. Houston and Maddie are sleeping. I went jogging this morning and went 6 miles I think, did not mean to do this, the gate was locked when I got back so I had to turn around and go another way... sound crazy, I know, it's a long story and no one thinks this happen around here... it's off to read a book "the shack" it's really good.

having trouble with pictures check back soon

What the Tillotson's have been up to..

Summer activities have been keeping us busy around here. There have been your usually summer fun, swimming, cooking out, ball games, and camp. Last week, the boys and I ran around going different places then hit the ball field in the evening. Nathan was at work camp at the church; by the end of the week we were ready for some sleep. I had fun playing ball again, then being a mom when I got into the dug out. I played first base and had the best time doing the splits to catch the ball. I got a few bumps and burses along the way, but nothing worth showing off. Friday night I went by myself and we lost the game, I'm thinking next time I need my lucky boys with me. Or maybe it's because Adron thinks his mom is soooooo cool because she plays "bceball" and I do a better job knowing that he is watching. Looking forward to playing with the PRCOC ladies in the spring. I do, however, need a new ball glove. I had retired mine and put it up for some home decor in Adron's room. I'm thinking about a pink glove, batting gloves, and shoes might make a great statement to the other ladies. One team even had on pink shirts and skirts they made a great fashion statement but the also came in last place, but they looked cute and they were very nice.

Nathan's still working all the time and loving his new job. He still gets every Monday off to hang out with us, I tell yaw when he's home we do more work so we need Tuesday to recover from adventures with dad. He has been swimming a lot in the evening to get some exercise.

Ohh more about me. Along with my softball career I've started training for a race in Sept. I got a great schedule M-Sat. of cross training, walking, and running. I've also changed my diet to a vegetarian diet to help me run faster, not carrying all this baby weight. Back to the family....

Houston: growing like all good boys should. He does a "Houston crawl" that is moving on his hands and one leg. He can also walk beside you if you are holding one of his hands, pulls up. He is eating table food. He screams for my chicken, noodles and slow cooked green beans. Banana's, apples, cooked carrots, bread, cheerios (I found this one out when I helped teach his ss class) plus 10 oz of formula before bed. He sleeps so well, takes great naps and goes with the flow with Adron's activities. He talks all the time, new words this week.. "ut oh" or sometimes it's "o o" dada, momma, and he talks with his hands to Adron like he knows what he is telling him.

Adron: eating us out of house and home. Growing way to fast, and it's hard to believe that he will be 4 in a few months. The best thing I can come up with that he is doing new these days its "burting" on command. Adron's dictionary of a "burt" is a fart, windy, toot. We have never told him different because he thinks this is funny and you never know when he needs a good laugh. So when we are in Wal-Mart and he is bored he will throw out a good one and just die laughing... Really I'm laughing inside, while telling him not to do that AT ALL!! But I guess it's an Etheridge thing, his uncle will be so proud.

This week our friends from Dallas, Maddie, and her parents come into town to join us at the beach. I will not be posting due to no Internet service there.. oh darn going to have to spend my days on the beach!

update

Nathan and I have been really busy this week. He has had work camp every night and I've been playing softball every night. Here are a few pictures to hold you over

9 months

Houston today
Adron at 9 mo
Houston was 9 months last Friday. He has 6 teeth, still crawling backwards, eating cheerios and puffs. He loves to be on his feet and wishes that he could walk like his big brother.

Here is Houston when he was born, today, and Adron at 9 months.

Today at Monkey Joe's

Back at our house

We made it back to NC safe and sound. Very tired and it took us the rest of the week to recover from the time change and jet lag. The kids did great with all day traveling and slept on the planes. That gave me a few minutes to close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Friday Nathan took the day off to hang out with us. It had been 3 weeks to long, that we had spent time together. We headed out in the morning to Cane Creek to go hiking; Adron was saying "hocking", and paddle boating. Houston enjoyed to part where he had to put on a life jacket. Next it was walking in the woods. We saw many bugs and huge spiders! Adron also found a Barbie with no clothes on. Adron said it was adventure stepping over the horse poop. These city folk know how to rough it.

Today we meet our friends to play at Monkey Joe's. I think Nathan and I had more fun then what the kids did bouncing in the bounce houses and going down the slides. What a work out!!! The kids took a great nap then we went swimming so they would go to sleep this evening. We ended up swimming for 2 hours came back and made homemade pizza for dinner. Houston couldn't stay up long enough for the pizza, but you know who is still up! We had fun hanging out with Nathan again; the boys really missed their daddy. Adron is still talking about Chucky Cheese and asking when we are going to papaw's house again. I think he has been dreaming about the plane rides.

Ohhh... Wait... This was RedNeck

On Saturday we woke up to the smell of pork burgers cooking, orange shake-ups shaking and a small town buzzing about the parade that was happening at 10. We meet my friend Wendy and her girls so we could sit together, help the kids gather candy and make fun of everything a small town has to offer. This is what we found at the parade, huge undies hanging from a line with people that were missing their teeth. It was a great experience for the kids and me. Go ECHS!

RedNeck 4th of July

Tail gating, big trucks, small town, this is about our 4th of July. There were a lot of "firsts" going on for my boys this 4th. Houston's first firework show, Adron first time in a back of a truck. We had pizza, veggies, and cupcakes for Mom's birthday. Papaw and Adron went to play golf to pass the time away. We got there at 5:45 in an old Walmart parking lot. By 6ish the Etheridge family was all there. There were only a few car at this time but no one had a spread like we did. By dark time the parking lot of packed with big trucks waiting for the fireworks. Start of the fireworks, thank goodness Carson was entertaining or we would have been really boried. Carson would clap and cheer for every boom. Adron was going back and forth between Carson with uncle and the back of the big truck. Houston slept, and Owen was cat napping. The fireworks were not that good but it was fun to hang out with the family. They do this kind of thing all the time and we only hear about it. Like the time they forgot to tell Cassie that they were NOT going to eat pizza and she was there waiting for them... they talk about that all the time... haaa haaa But I say, they forgot to call me too!!!

This week..

We are rounding out the last few days here at Papaw's and Grammy's camp. We tired to rest a little this week because we had been running around to much!!

This week we:
Monday: play with our cousins at the Mt. Carmel park. We had so much fun, uncle Jamie even cooked for us... hotdogs... ummmm

Tuesday: We played at Grammy's house with Katie and Riley. We went to the park, went swimming OH, went and got ice cream cones, and last went to Grandma Longbon's house to mess it up, or should I say leave my mark.

Wednesday: We meet cousin Seily and Max to play at the park. We played for 2 hours, it was a nice day. Mommy meet Aunt Cassie to get there feet done.

Thursday: I stayed at Grammy camp and Mommy and Houston went with Aunt Cassie and Owen to Evansville to go shopping. They were gone a really long time. I couldn't stay up for them I took a nap waiting for them to come home. At Grammy camp it rained most of the day so we went fishing. Katie and Riley helped me make little fishes and a poll and we got point for every fist we caught. That was fun...

Friday: Grammy's Birthday!!! We went to my mom's high school friends house and played with Heidi and her new baby sister. We went outside and hit baseballs with her dad, and she even had a swing set and lots of yard to play in. It was back to Grammy's house were she made cookies for us. ummmm and party time in the evening. But I was tired again.... time to take a nap... shshshuuuuu... I'm tired after all of that! Adron