Happy 4th of July!!

We had a great fireworks show here at the beach. Unfortunately, we had a little rain too. The fireworks were great as long as the kids stayed out to watch them! We had some umbrellas and watched what we could. Hudson and Reagan ended up inside because they didn't want to be out in the rain. Thank you for all of the people that keep our country safe and allow us to live in the best country in the world!!

Panama City Beach

We made it last night to the beautiful beaches of Panama City Beach, Florida. It was a long road here, but all the kids did extremely well. We are still not quite back to our normal schedules, and as you can tell, being at the beach is exhausting! We are excited to see some fireworks tonight from the deck of the house that we have rented. The beach is beautiful and we have been blessed that there is no signs of oil here! The kids are having fun too, but Hudson is not so sure about the sand yet. I don't understand why he loves to play in dirt at home, but does not want to enjoy the great white sand! Hopefully, by the end of the week, that will change!

Captain Erwin and Mrs. Rita

We were invited to go swimming this weekend at the Erwin house. Captain Erwin has been John's captain for the majority of the time he has been on with the fire department. We love them dearly! He recently retired after 41 years of service, but he and his wife, Rita, still keep tabs on us. We try to keep tabs on them too. The kids both love them and Reagan loves to talk about "Captain Erwin and Mrs. Rita." I know that at the fire station, Captain Erwin always had great advice for John, and we have always felt they were like family. Luckily, they have a great pool and outdoor barn area the kids got to enjoy over the weekend. Reagan is still talking about Mrs. Rita's playhouse (the outdoor barn) and says that she wants one too! We are just so thankful we are a part of their lives, and that they are a part of our lives!!!

Stitches, Already?

On Monday, June 14th, I got a call from Hudson's frantic babysitter. She told me that Hudson had cut his finger pretty badly, but she couldn't tell how severe the cut was. The bigger kids had made a small crack in a window and although they had covered it until it could be fixed, Hudson found a way to get at it. His inquisitive little mind caused him to stick his finger through the crack in the glass. After having his Nan bring him up to the clinic so I could take a look, I realized that he would need stitches. I had to be Mommy and couldn't stitch him up myself, so off we went to the ER. We got great care and he ended up with three stitches on the top of his finger just below his fingernail, and three stitches on the fingertip. Boy, was he exhausted after screaming for all of that! He did really well and by the next day was playing like it didn't even bother him. The silver lining to all of this is that he cut the finger he sucks! He normally gets his blanket in his left hand and puts his right index finger in his mouth to soothe him. It has been an adjustment this week as he is now not easy to get to sleep at night! I guess we will see if he returns to sucking his finger after the stitches are out, or it if has broken him of the habit!

Pool Time Fun

Last weekend we were able to go down to our neighborhood pool and splash park where both the kids had a great time. Reagan, as usual, was ready to swim everywhere. We had to watch her closely as she could not quite reach the bottom and was almost a little too brave. Hudson wasn't sure about the whole experience, but still enjoyed himself. The kids got to swim in the backyard pool as well. With the Texas heat, it is a great way to cool off!

Hudson's First Haircut

Hudson has finally gotten enough hair that he needed a haircut! Well, it was more like a trim than a haircut, but we caught some of the hair for his baby book. Unfortunately, he was not a big fan! He has always loved going when Reagan gets her hair cut, but I guess that he prefers to just watch! Hopefully, next time will be better!

Bath Time Fun!

Reagan and Hudson typically love their bath each night. At the first mention of bath time, Hudson is running for the stairs to go up to the bathroom. Reagan tries to swim every night even though there is not enough room to do so! Hudson just tries to do everything Reagan is doing, as usual.

Sibling Rivalry

Here is a quick video to let you see exactly what goes on at the Hope household. A very typical occurrence. I am sure as both the kids get older, things like this may become true battles!!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had the opportunity to go to Washington DC for the first time over the Memorial Day Holiday. It was a great time to go and see the special Memorials that are there in place of the men and women that have made our nation what it is today. We were able to see a lot of sites including the White House, the Capitol, Library of Congress, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, and were able to visit several museums. We were also able to go to Arlington National Cemetery and witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We had a blast and enjoyed ourselves, but definitely missed the kids. Here are a few of our favorite photos.

Packing for the Weekend

John and I had a chance to leave for an extended weekend over the Memorial Day weekend. The hardest part was leaving the kids even though we knew they were in great hands with "Nan and Da." I think that they enjoyed the suitcases as much as they enjoyed the weekend at the grandparent's house!