Life on Sugarberry

TWO

2012-01-20T07:03:00.001-08:00

Ellie is TWO!!

I know I say this all the time, but time has flown by with the second child! The night she was born still seems like yesterday! Ellie is such a joy in our lives. She is smart, funny, happy and talks ALL the time!

My big two-year-old with pigtails!

So much personality. Love her.

Some things I want to remember right now:

FAVORITES: babies, princesses, her blankie, reading books, snacks, preschool, dancing, talking

Ellie, you talk all the day long. You ask a million questions a day! We've been told that comes from your daddy! :) "What you doing, mama?"/"What's that?"/"What's her name?"/"Where that come from?"--These are some of your favorite questions to ask. You love to sing and dance. You love to go to school and church and walk right in without looking back. You are super laid back and I can still take you just about anywhere with no complaints. You love for your daddy to walk in the door each day! And even though your brother pesters you, I know you love him deep down! Ha! You love your friends and family and ask to go to their houses all the time!

You are our favorite two year old, Ellie! We are so thankful God blessed us with you!

Happy Birthday Ellison Reese!!

Birthday Week

2012-01-17T19:46:00.001-08:00

Ellie's big day isn't until Friday, but we snuck home last weekend for a last minute joint birthday party for her and cousin Walker. Everybody needs a birthday week, right? Especially when you're TWO!

Cheeeese!

This face cracks me up! This is her surprised/excited look!

And this is her stare off into space/birthday hangover look!

She has not let "Punzel" out of her sight since this night.

Happy Birthday Walker and Ellie!

Cars/Princesses, Blue/Pink, 6/2...it all works!

More birthday festivities to come!

Christmas Morning 2011

2012-01-02T20:00:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning, so much fun!

Hudson with his goodies.

Look how creative Santa was with Hudson's legos! :)

A little sleepy, but very happy with her new kitchen!

Full of Christmas cheer!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-02T19:39:00.001-08:00

It was so much fun watching our kids experience the joy of Christmas this year! They love the gifts (of course) but to hear them talk about the real reason we celebrate makes my heart so happy. Hudson's words: "Guys, the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus' birthday!" That's right buddy!

Christmas Eve

We attended my brothers Christmas Eve service, where we listened to both of my nieces read the Christmas story from the Bible. And listened to Ellie try to sing Silent Night. Loved it!

My favorite gifts.

Cousin love.

You will see that pictures this year are few. I ended up with fever on this night and come to find out after we returned home, I had strep. :( I will make up for it next year!

Wedding Debut

2011-12-18T18:41:00.001-08:00

Hudson made his wedding debut this weekend as the ringbearer for one of our previous youth and her new man! To say that Dusty and I were nervous is an understatement. And after a rehearsal fail on Friday night, we didn't think it was even going to happen. But we prayed. Hard. Lord, just let him walk down the aisle.

Pre-Wedding, so handsome!

Hudson and the beautiful bride, Paige. We love her.

AND...success!! He did it!

Look how adorable!!

And now it's time to par-tay!

Phew! Mommy and Daddy are breathing a sigh of relief!

Now bring on Christmas!!

Preschool Sing-A-Long

2011-12-18T14:47:00.001-08:00

Our preschool Christmas performances were last Thursday. Hudson's class sang "Happy Birthday Jesus" and Ellie's class joined the rest of the kids for "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." They were super cute in their Christmas pajamas! And now, vacation!

Singing so sweetly!

"Hi Mom! "Hi Dad!"

(That is seriously what she calls us.)

She stood up to dance! Such a crack-up!

However, Santa is no laughing matter. She was not okay with that!

Now, on to the next!

8 Years...

2011-12-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary Dusty!

I love you more every day!

Here We Go!

2011-12-13T12:59:00.001-08:00

Christmas is in full swing here! Parties and Christmas activities are keeping us pretty busy, but we're having so much fun! This is a big week for us...anniversary, preschool sing-a-long and Hudson's wedding debut! (Mommy is somewhat nervous!)

Love this time of year!

Hudson was a gingerbread making machine!

Looking at lights with Kate and Jack!

Love them.

Trying not to inhale the fake snow! :)

More to come soon!

Advent

2011-12-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

My MOPS group made Advent Calendars last week and let me tell you...major excitement has ensued at the Brewer home! This was our first year to do one and Hudson is loving it. I've mixed in some fun Christmas activities with little treats and trinkets. Thank you Pinterest for all your fun ideas!

Countdown to Christmas!

These two are ready for the holiday season!

(And ready to pull of the next number!)

Chocolate gold coins! Score!

Looking forward to a wonderful Christmas season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

I am beyond thankful for these two!

Hudson 3 1/2 years

Ellison 22 months

Brewer Family Thankful Tree 2011

Just recently God has stirred in Hudson a passion for prayer. It is such a blessing to hear my children pray, but even more so that he is choosing to pray on his own and is sensing needs in others. Both Hudson and Ellie were quick to tell us things they were thankful for this year. (Family, books, church, snacks, toys, friends, Jesus, etc.) We are really working with Hudson on being grateful for what we already have and not constantly wanting more. Hard lesson for a three year old. And sometimes for a thirty-something too.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Brewer Family!

Every good and perfect gift is from above.

James 1:17a

Dash

2011-11-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hudson was ready for some trick-or-treating! We could barely keep up with him!

Muscles!

He takes his character seriously.

Dash and Hulk, taking on the world, one piece of candy at a time.

Happy Family!!

Bumble Bee

2011-11-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

This little bumblebee is a no tricks, just treats kind of girl!

You really want me to wear this all night?

Where's my bucket? Let's do this!

That's cool, but they better have candy.

Yall go ahead, I'm gonna have some animal crackers!

Ellie thinks Halloween is awesome!

Costumes and Candy

2011-10-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today was our preschool costume parade and Fall parties. Costumes and candy. Basically, the best day ever for a 3 1/2 year old! Hudson walked with his class and got candy from the church staff. I'm pretty sure I heard one of his classmates say "Hudson, why is your Daddy dressed like that?" Ha! All the staff members dress up and Dusty was a graduate. Hudson was really into it this year! So much fun!

Dash, from The Incredibles

"Because he's fast!"

Candy!!

Can you say sugar high?!

The verdict is still out on whether Ellie is going to wear a costume on Halloween.

Either way, she's still my little pumpkin!

21 Months

2011-10-20T21:47:00.001-07:00

Ellie's two year mark is approaching. I really need time to stand still. She is at a really fun, funny stage right now. I love it. And I want to kiss her cheeks all day long.

If you haven't read or seen The Help, I highly recommend it. I may or may not have cried like a baby at the end of the book and in the movie theater (twice). Great book/movie. There is a little girl in the movie who reminds me of my little Ellison. And so over the last few months, I have found myself saying these words to her as we rock,

You is kind...

You is smart...

You is important.

I love this little girl so much. She makes me smile all day. From her awesome dance moves, to her little mothering skills to her prayers for food...I can't get enough of her!!

Bring on the two's!!

More pumpkins...

2011-10-15T14:57:00.001-07:00

Some of my favorite pictures from the day...

Love him.

The pouty lip. Lord help us.

And my fave, Kate giving the littles bunny ears.

Our lives have changed over the last six years. Looking forward to many more pumpkin patches with you Testone's!

My Pumpkins at the Patch

2011-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Even though it is the middle of October and still 85 degrees, we pretended like it was Fall and went to the pumpkin patch this morning. Love that we have some ongoing family traditions and great friends to make memories with. And we're thankful that they don't judge us when we bribe our children to smile.

Yay!! The pumpkin patch!!

So grown up.

Look at his sweet smile!

And look at his fake smile!

Happy Fall from the Brewer's!!

Granny's House

2011-09-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

We love Granny's house!!

Thanks for letting us stay with you Granny! We love you!

Krista's Hustle

2011-09-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

We headed to Gainesville for the weekend to do the hustle for Krista's foundation! We love getting to go to the walk each year! Money for three high school senior scholarships have already been raised in Krista's name!

There were some awards given after the walk, and guess what??

Ellie won best dressed! Ha!!

Yay Ellie! Your very first trophy!!

Hudson was all smiles playing with cousin Addison!

I didn't get a picture of us actually walking, so this lovely will have to do.

Back to School!

2011-09-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

This morning we were all back to school!

We are so thankful that both of our kids love school. And mommy LOVES that they are right down the hall...I may or may not check on them multiple times a day. :)

Ready to go!

Maybe their teachers can work on looking at the camera?

Ms. Independent

She walked right in, never looked back, found a baby and said "Change her!"

I hope the Caterpillar room is ready for this one!

Hudson in the Squirrel room.

First choice...rocks and magnifying glasses!

Looking forward to a great year!

Dear Westin La Cantera,

2011-09-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

You were the perfect place for our family to take an overnight getaway before school starts. You have so many fun things for families to do, your service is great and thanks to your friends Hotwire, we could afford to visit you!

We were all smiles! (Most of us.)

The waterslide was our favorite!!

And your pools were perfect to cool off in!

The movie on the lawn was awesome! (That's Ellie's new favorite word.)

We also loved smores by the pool at night, the balcony outside our room, the playroom with fun toys and getting to push buttons in the elevator. You are a really fun hotel and we hope to come visit you again sometime.

Love,

The Brewer Family

We Keep Growing...

2011-08-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Angie, Adam and Olivia welcomed their newest addition on Tuesday! (I hope she doesn't get upset that I'm blogging before her!) It was a crazy day, but I'm so glad I was there to welcome my new niece on her birthday!

Mimi and Paw-Paw and their EIGHT grandkids!!

Chloe Elizabeth Mirkes

Sweet baby girl!

Congratulations Angie and Adam!! She's an angel!!

Ran-dom

2011-08-09T12:55:00.001-07:00

Sorry I have been a really terrible blogger this summer. It's the heat. Or something. This is a completely random post of pictures of some fun we've had over the last couple of weeks. Nevermind that we had VBS and my birthday and I have NO pictures of either. What is happening to me??

Ellie had a lunch date with Bobby. The laughed at each other the whole time!

We've played some dress-up. :)

And went to The Big Bounce with Daddy!

If you are still reading this blog, try to stick with me! My new niece arrives next week, and she is sure to be blog worthy!!

18 Months

2011-07-25T19:21:00.001-07:00

Ellie is 18 months old! Of course I'm late on this post and these are really random pictures that I took one afternoon after Ellie's nap, but super cute! She insisted on having all her babies in the bed with her. Such a little mommy.

Love these blue eyes!

Putting her babies night night.

Muah! Ellie loves to give sugars (kisses)!

What a joy our little girl has been! She is full of personality these days...some good, some sassy. She talks all the time and smiles all day. And our hearts just about melt when she says, "Hold you, Mommy" and "Hold you, Daddy".

Ellie's likes: dancing, reading books, going to the pool, Dora, popsicles

Ellie's dislikes: vegetables, going to bed, being tackled by her brother

I feel like before I know it, it will be 18 years. Time seems to be flying by. I'm trying to slow down and enjoy every moment, even the hard ones!

Happy 18 months Ellie! We love you!!

Science Place with the Cousins!

2011-07-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

We made a little trip home last week for some family time! Hudson and Ellie did not want to let their cousins out of their sight! Lots of playing and laughing!

Ready to go!

The Dino Dig was a hit!!

Let's go get that fire Ellie!

Water table time!

I have so many fun pictures, but my finicky computer only allows four at a time. Sheesh. Anyway, thanks Mimi and Paw-Paw for letting us come stay while Dusty was away! We loved it!

Little Firecracker

2011-07-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Ellie is the sweetest thing, really. I mean, look at this face!

But don't be fooled, she's got a whole other side...

S.A.S.S.Y.

I don't know where she gets it.

4th of July Fun!

2011-07-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

After the lake, cook-out and the All-American afternoon nap, we decided to brave the heat and head to Cedar Park's 4th of July Celebration (minus fireworks). Bouncehouses, slides, trains, playground, music, food...very fun! The kids loved it and we felt very "hometown"!

Will they ever look at the camera??

Ellie was a big, brave girl and went down the big slide with Daddy!

Hudson is always up for a train ride!

And after a VERY long, fun-filled day, we headed home!

Happy 4th of July!!

Tubin'

2011-07-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hudson's first time on the lake!

Tubing with Daddy!

Serious business.

I wish you could see his face...priceless! He loved every minute and Dusty said every time they hit a bump, Hudson laughed hysterically!

Such a fun way to start the 4th of July!!

More Sea World...

2011-06-25T20:08:00.001-07:00

Fun family getaway!

Feeding the dolphins! Expensive, but fun!

Sea Lion and Walrus show, super cute!

And after a big day...worn out! Notice he's still holding his new Shamu toy!

A special bonus to our day was getting to see our friends the Brewer's!! We realized through facebook that we were both at Sea World for the day! It was a short visit and our boys were not too crazy about standing around talking when there was fun to be had, so we decided to plan a longer visit in Houston for next month! Yay!! So glad we got to see you Kim, Jeff and Brady!

Sea World was a huge success!!

Sea World!!

2011-06-25T19:43:00.001-07:00

We headed down south this morning for Hudson's first trip to Sea World!! We joined our friends the Testone's and Courtney's (newlyweds, adorable, and major troopers!) and everyone had a total blast!

Ready to go!

Hudson's favorite of the day...sharks!!

Waiting to see Shamu!

Typical Hudson reaction...blank stare. Ha! (He really did love it!)

So I'm sure you're wondering...where is Ellie? :) We decided not to take her, and we are really glad we didn't. She would not have been able to make the long day and the heat. And we were able to spend some time alone with Hudson! He felt really special! Ellie got to spend the day with Ms. Kerry, her teacher from preschool and she had a great day! Maybe next year!

More pics to come!

Little Mama

2011-06-23T12:29:00.001-07:00

My Little Mama pretending to be a Little Mama. She's growing up and it hurts a little. But so fun to see her this morning going to get a wipe to clean up her baby's "poopie". Ha!

Who else wants to squeeze Ellie's thighs? :)

Giving a little love!

Babies, purses, phones, bows, shoes...she is such a girl!

Happy 17th months Little Mama!!

Father's Day

2011-06-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is the best daddy my kids could ever ask for! Dusty, I am so glad we get to do life together! I am so proud of the father you have become!!

Holding 60 (ish) pounds of goodness!

And Happy Father's Day to my favorite dad!!

I love you both!!

So Far...

2011-06-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

This is all we've done this summer!

But I don't think they're complaining!

Austin Children's Museum

2011-05-27T12:08:00.001-07:00

We decided to get in a little fun this morning before the children's museum becomes too crowded for the summer. We have not been since Hudson was Ellie's age and I'm sad we've waited this long, they loved it! And it's nice to have a change of pace and go downtown and out of the suburbs for a while! Ha! We had lots of "this is how we cross the street downtown" lessons...very educational!

The slide was a big hit!

Hudson is really into his letters right now!

Working the gears!

She thinks she's so big...okay, she is. Sigh.

I'm so glad to be off for the summer! Hudson on the other hand has asked if he has school pretty much every morning for the last week. Uh-oh, better find more fun things to do!

Come on Summer...

2011-05-16T14:00:00.001-07:00

We're ready for you!

Longer days, sunshine, sprinklers, pool time, popsicles...we can't wait!

Only three more days of school and then summer vacation! Yay!!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite Mother's Day gifts!

My second favorite gift...my new computer I'm blogging on! Yay Daddy!

Happy Mother's Day to Mimi, Granny, Grandma and all the other Momma's in my life!

Glorious Day!

2011-04-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

We sang this song in church yesterday. I don't think I could describe it any better!

Living He loved me, dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away.

Rising He justified, freely forever

One day He's coming

Oh glorious day, Oh glorious day!

Happy Easter from the Brewer's!

Easter Fun!

2011-04-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

We have been more than blessed with our friendship with the Testones. And on a holiday weekend when we are not able to be with our own families, it is such a blessing to have friends like family to share special times with. We got together today for lunch and a little egg hunt for the kids. One day, ALL of our children will be smiling and looking at the camera. I have hope.

Hudson, Jack, Kate and Ellie

Jack and Hudson looking hard. Dusty and Steven decided the three big kids should have to work for their eggs! Ha!

Ellie is really into purses, bags, etc. So she put her basket on her arm and said "Bye, Bye!"
Notice it's empty. She was too busy for eggs!

Later at home, coloring eggs. He loved it!

It is so neat to watch our kids experience new things, get excited about the "fun" parts of Easter and share special times with friends...but so much more than that, we want them to understand the real meaning of why we celebrate. Our prayer as parents is that our kids will one day choose to follow Christ and know for themselves His love and sacrifice!

15 Months

2011-04-22T06:32:00.001-07:00

Ellie is 15 months old! She is growing so fast! Each day she seems to be more like a little girl than a baby. Makes this momma a little sad. But I also love to see her learn and do new things. She is talking so much and trying really hard to keep up with big brother.

Love this little face.

Making her Paw-Paw proud!

Ellie's sign for "more". We see and hear this about 100 times a day! Girlfriend loves her some snacks. :)

We love you Ellie!

A-Hunting We Will Go!

2011-04-11T11:54:00.001-07:00

This morning was our annual church preschool Easter egg hunt! It was a beautiful morning for hunting eggs, eating candy and jumping on a bouncehouse! A special thanks to Barbara (our Austin grandma!) for helping so mommy could take pictures!

Ellie looks so big here walking like a pro and carrying her "bag". But she still has her baby cheeks that I want to kiss all day!

Hudson's loot. I'm pretty sure he ate like 10 Tootsie Rolls.

He got the hang of it this year. And he was FAST. Hudson and Ellison with the Easter Bunny. Somebody was not interested. More Easter fun to come!

Spring is Here!!

2011-04-06T20:09:00.001-07:00

Yay for sunshine and warmer days!!

This smile. Hilarious.

Ellie got in on the watering too...herself!

One last pat, pat, pat!

We are looking forward to many more sunny days to play outside! Thank you Lord for a new season!

Birthday Continued!

2011-03-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hudson has it good. Spring Break birthday means two parties for him pretty much every year! He chose Lightning McQueen for party #2! He is slightly obsessed with the movie Cars. :) And again, I chose a low-key, just your average cake and pinata party. With 7 1/2 kids running around, less is better. But there is still chaos, so I did not get great pictures. Thanks family! Hudson had so much fun!

The birthday boy!

And even though this was a pull-string pinata, we still let everybody take a whack! Please excuse Hudson's sagging shorts.

The gang. After party. Soooo done.

Maddie, Hudson, Walker, Livi, Ellie, Jackson, Grace

Birthday Friends!

2011-03-13T19:32:00.001-07:00

Baker, Jack, Hudson, Kate and Ellie

Hudson and Kate

Lyndsey, Steven and Jack
Why can't Hudson smile like this? I love it.

Stephanie and Baker

Thanks to our sweet friends for joining our train party!

Happy Birthday Hudson!!

2011-03-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hudson doesn't turn 3 until Friday, but we celebrated early with our Austin friends today. We headed downtown to Zilker Park to take a ride on the Zilker Zephyr! So. Much. Fun. The kids loved it!

The Zilker Zephyr!

All Aboard!!

(No worries, Ellie did not ride alone!)

This was Hudson's face as we sang Happy Birthday. I'm not sure that he realized the party was for him until right at this point. Ha! And yes, we were really fancy with a blanket on the ground and cookies on paper napkins. But the train cookies were yum-my!

Yay! Veggie Tales Jonah ship! This was the only thing he asked for, I think he liked it!

I've been a little skimpy on blogs lately and that is mostly because we have been going through some terrible two's/three's with Hudson. It's been a rough month here at our house. We are thankful that God's mercies are new every morning! And we are leaning on Him to guide us on how to parent our little man! It sounds like we'll be on our knees through the next year too, we've been told that three is the new two! Super! More to come on our big three year old!!

Just For You Mimi!

2011-03-08T18:25:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday! We love you!

All My Loves

2011-02-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from the Brewer's!

(When we ask Hudson to smile, this is what we get now! )

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day today! It was b-e-a-utiful here in Austin today, so Dusty and I enjoyed lunch by the lake at the Oasis, it was amazing! And then we came home to our little loves and had a fun Valentine dinner together, complete with heart-shaped pizza and cupcakes! I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate! My heart is full of love!

Snowstorm Slams Central Texas!

2011-02-04T11:46:00.001-08:00

I had to laugh at the news this morning when that was the title of their weather segment...really? We MAYBE got 2 inches! And as you can see, by 10:00 this morning it was already starting to melt! Nonetheless, there was some snow for Hudson and Daddy to play in! And some snow for Ellie and Mommy to take a picture in! Ha! And now, snow day naps for everyone!

Stay warm friends!!!

She's on the Move!

2011-02-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

Ellie took her first steps about three weeks ago, but she is now a full-on walker! She can escape to the next room in a matter of seconds. Sheesh. I have to be on my A-game at all times. I told my sister that when Baby Mirkes #2 comes in August, she's gonna have to step it up! :) Like how I threw that in there like that?! Yay!! Check out her blog for more details!

He Likes Things In Order...

2011-02-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Like dinosaurs.

And stickers on the wall. Yep.

More Birthday Fun!

2011-01-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

Our Little Cupcake!

2011-01-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Ellie's first birthday cupcake style! I am a low-key, few guests, not a lot of work kind of mom when it comes to parties. And our little party was perfect! After a Chick-fil-A lunch, everyone helped open Ellie's presents and (gasp!) there was no crying!! Then the older three (Kate, Jack and Hudson) got to decorate their own cupcakes! I have to record that Kate immediately said "I'll be really good at this. I watch Cake Boss." Love that girl. That kept them happy while Ellie went after her birthday cupcake! She was a little unsure at first, but once she had a little taste of the icing, it was on from there! Yummy! And it may be hard to tell, but this really was her first cupcake...bless her heart!

Thanks to the Testones and Mimi and Paw-Paw for celebrating with us! And a very Happy Birthday to our little cupcake Ellison! We love you!

Barney's/Ellie's Birthday Bash!

2011-01-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

So Barney's Birthday Bash came to town ON Ellie's birthday...too perfect! We've never really done anything like this before, and we are so glad we did! And even though it was really more of a present to Hudson, it was great!! There was lots of dancing and singing and crawling up and down the stairs! Ha!

Hey Barney, thanks for sharing your birthday with Ellie! :)

Happy Birthday Ellie!!!

2011-01-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

We have been camera-less for the last several weeks, but we are back in business for the big day/weekend! Ellie is the big O-N-E!

We started our day off with our traditional birthday breakfast cinnamon rolls, she loved it! And Hudson cried because he wanted a candle in his cinnamon roll...good times! Then we dressed Ellie up in her cutie pie "1" shirt and attempted some first birthday pictures. Not many smiles, but the jeans are irresistible!

I cannot believe the first year is already gone. I can remember the crazy night she was born like it was yesterday. I am so thankful for my little girl. She is a huge blessing from the Lord. She is so happy and smiles all day! Her toothless (yes, she is STILL toothless) smile is the greatest joy, I love walking in each morning to get her! She's cuddly and playful and I am loving watching the sibling relationship between them grow! And even though there were really hard times this year balancing two small children, I would not change a thing! My heart is full! I cannot wait to see what the next year brings!

More birthday to come!!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from our family! May God bless you this year!

Dusty, Ashley, Hudson and Ellison Brewer

11 Months

2011-01-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Oh Ellie, please forgive your ever-late mother! The 11 month mark was on the 20th, but I'm just now getting to this! The big day will be here before we know it! Ellie is growing and changing all the time, so I thought I would give you 11 things she is doing right now:

1. Standing alone

2. Cruising with a walker and around the furniture

3. Waving bye-bye

4. Favorite words: mama, dada, uh-oh and dada for everyone else!

5. Giving her baby dolls a hug and kiss

6. Sitting in her big girl carseat

7. Dancing to any and all music

8. Clapping

9. Laughing at Hudson

10. Eating ALL THE TIME!

11. Smiling ALL THE TIME!

We love you Ellie Belly! Can't wait to celebrate your big birthday!!

Trail of Lights

2010-12-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

A good friend suggested that we take a little road trip to Marble Falls to walk the Trail of Lights and I am so glad we did, our kids loved it! Gotta love free holiday fun!

Christmas at Preschool

2010-12-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Today was the Christmas Sing-a-Long at our preschool. Hudson's class had two songs to sing, Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. He has been singing/screaming these songs for weeks. I just knew this was the year...umm, no. Not one word. But he shook his bell the whole time. I love him.

After the sing-a-long is time to wait in line for Santa, a very hard lesson of patience for a two year old. But we made it and all was well. We haven't talked much about Santa, so Hudson doesn't really know about who brings presents and what-not, so he just got his candycane and moved on!

And then he and Jack spread some holiday cheer/ran around like crazies in the church foyer. Love them. And Ellie just took it all in and looked like a Christmas cutie!

Away In a Manger

2010-12-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

If you have little ones, I would highly recommend investing in the Little People Nativity set! We have loved watching Hudson make the Christmas story come alive while playing with the manger set. He talks through it and sings Away In a Manger and Happy Birthday Jesus...makes my heart so happy! Ellie likes to eat the animals and throw the manger on the floor...she's a sweet baby!

Stay tuned for the big performance this week! He's telling everyone that he's going to sing on the stage at church. We'll see.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-12-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

These two are ready for Christmas! December is a very busy month in the Brewer household, but we are working on slowing down and talking each day with our kids about the reason we celebrate! We hope you enjoy this holiday season too! I've been a bad blogger lately, so I'll work on lots of Christmas posts!!

We Are Thankful!

2010-11-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

We are loving that Hudson is old enough now to have actual conversations about character, giving, loving on others, being thankful, the true meaning of the holidays, etc. We started this week by making an Operation Christmas Child shoebox for a little girl that we ended up having to name "Sarah" because Hudson would not stop asking her name! He did really well for a while at the store as we shopped for her, but he kept picking out things with Lightning McQueen on them, so we helped steer him toward princesses and pink. :) We were very proud of him and it makes our hearts so happy that he has continued to ask about "Sarah"!

We ended our week by making this little guy. We each took a turn to say something/someone we were thankful for and then we came up with some together. It was so sweet to see him excited to share. Our family is very blessed and we want Hudson to know that every good and perfect gift comes from above!

Pumpkin Festival!

2010-10-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

Woody and the sweetest little strawberry made their way to the Preschool Pumpkin Festival at church this morning! Hudson was in heaven...bouncehouses, petting zoo, hayrides, games! He still really hasn't caught on to the play the game and they will give you candy thing, he would just play and run away! Okay! Less sugar is fine with mommy!

Ellie took it all in and accepted many compliments on her adorable costume! (Thank you next door neighbor for selling it for $2 at your garage sale! ) She even got to go on the hayride with daddy, Hudson, Kate, Jack and Steven!

Another fun year at the Pupmkin Festival! And Halloween Part 3 coming tomorrow! Can't wait to see Hudson and Jack trick-or-treating!

Halloween Part 1

2010-10-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Our preschool has a costume parade for Halloween and after some major costume drama (I'll spare you the details) Hudson ended up being Woody from Toy Story! He was very excited about being a cowboy! He kept saying "Yeehaw!" and making a lasso motion!

I missed Hudson getting candy from the staff, but I caught him at the end walking with his class! So cute! And the only picture I got of Ellie was a quick shot before school. Let's just say that party day at a preschool is cra-zy! More Halloween fun to come!

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

2010-10-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Dusty and I just returned from a little vacay to Boston!

This vacation was a dream for Dusty, who loves history and well, planning things. We had a jam packed four days of tours, sightseeing and lots of walking. So many things to see and experience. Not to mention Boston is absolutely beautiful in the fall! It never got over 60 degrees and was in the 30s at night...buuurrrr! The fall foliage was unlike anything we had ever seen...so amazing! We toured Fenway Park, walked the Freedom Trail, drove to Plymouth and Cape Cod, ate a LOT of great food and slept in every morning! :) A-Mazing!If you are looking for a weekend trip, we recommend it!

And a special thank you to Mimi and Paw-Paw for watching our rugrats and to Juanette for your generosity! Couldn't have done it without you!

Wish we could have brought the crisp fall air back with us!

9 Months

2010-10-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Aunt Angie for this adorable bandana dress!

Ellie is 9 months old! I can't believe it! It has definitely gone by faster the second time around! I really need time to slow itself down!

Ellie is growing so fast, and by that I mean she adds fluff and rolls by the day! :) I love me some baby fluff! She is crawling like a pro, pulling herself up, babbling all day and still has no teeth! She thinks big brother is either hysterically funny or totally annoying...hmmmm. But the best thing is her sweet, full mouth smile! And just for the record (my record) she said "Mama" first!

We are so thankful for our sweet baby girl! We love you Ellie Reese!

It's Pumpkin Time!

2010-10-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful Fall day yesterday, so headed to the cutest pumpkin patch in Austin with our friends the Testone's and the Campbell's! There were a TON of pumpkins and lots of gated room to run...perfect! The kids had a blast and the parents acted like lunatics to get the kids to smile for pictures! Ha!

Ellie got to wear the sweet pumpkin hat that Hudson wore as a baby, I love it! And I realize these pictures look like we could possibly favor her, but she is just much more cooperative with pictures! But I did get one smile out of the little man!

I love this time of year...pumpkins, fall leaves, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks! And fun with these little ones...

Steven took some pictures too, so I might have to post a part two of our trip!

Happy Fall from our little pumpkins!!

Dad's Night...All Aboard!

2010-10-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

This was preschool Dad's Night #3 for Dusty and Hudson! And even though Ellie goes to school too, she didn't really know what was going on! It was all about Hudson and Daddy! It was a train theme this year and even though he talked ALL day about the train, he didn't care for his first ride! But he did go back for another round and loved it!

I love that this has become a yearly tradition! Hudson and Ellie have the best Daddy!

Do The Hustle!

2010-09-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

The 3rd Annual Krista Hustle!!

We love being part of the walk each year to benefit Krista's scholarship program. Hudson was in full party mode, after all there were balloons and well, people! And Granny is definitely an added bonus! Wish we were closer to our Gainesville family! Love you all!

It has been two years since we lost our sweet Krista. I am so encouraged by the Brewer's strength and the joy they have found in helping others through their loss. And as I am staying home today with two sick kids, I am going to hold them a little closer, a little longer and thank God for giving me such precious gifts!

Back to School

2010-09-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that it rained ALL day and getting in and out of school was very wet, everyone had a great first day of school! Hudson walked right in with his backpack, put it away and went straight to the sensory bin to play in the rice! Sigh. He's such a big boy! I love him to pieces! And he came home in his original clothes...score!

Ellie did amazing! Every time I checked on her, she was as happy as can be! My theory is that she was glad to have a break from big brother's "love"! No one to bother her, get in her way, take toys away, etc...she was all smiles today!

I know I've said this before, but Dusty and I are so blessed to be with our kids. I am so thankful that I am able to teach right down the hall. Because I'm pretty sure I would never make it on time anywhere else!

Goodbye Summer...

2010-09-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

...we'll miss you!!

The first day of school is tomorrow! Hudson is very excited to play and "share" with his friends! We'll see how that goes! :)

*Please, don't be jealous of little mama's physique, it's special.

7 Months

2010-08-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ellie turned 7 months on the 20th! And I'm not going to lie, I almost missed it because of the whole potty training thing (which has been an up and down roller coaster!), so here is a variety of pictures from the last couple of weeks! Ellie is the sweetest, most laid back baby who just goes with the flow! Praise Jesus, because I've got my hands full with someone else!!

It's Potty Time!

2010-08-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Operation Potty began a couple of days ago at the Brewer house! We've had good days and bad days, but I'm hoping that in the next three weeks before school starts we might get the hang of it! I have refrained from posting actual potty pictures because I don't want my son to completely disown me later, but look how cute in his big boy underwear!! Ha!

Already??

2010-08-04T19:38:00.001-07:00

She's up on her knees, rocking back and forth.

I am really NOT okay with this. I have been secretly hoping that Ellie would take her time with mobilization! But apparently she has other plans! She's growing up and my life is about to get even crazier! A crawler and a runner! :)

Just a note: Pardon the ever-changing blog design. I've had some issues, but I think it's getting there!

Hudson Hearts VBS!

2010-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Especially when there is a bouncehouse and petting zoo involved! We have all been at Vacation Bible School this week. Hudson and Ellie both enjoyed their classes and I lead preschool music. Now I know what some of you might be thinking, "Ashley can't carry a tune!" And you would be right, but preschoolers don't know or care! And so this morning, all the preschoolers had a performance of the songs they learned. Hudson was front and center. He even yelled right before, "I going on the stage to sing Mommy!" Great! Sing loud Buddy! Ummm...no. I think he did a few motions, but did not once open his mouth to sing! And several others from his class never even stood up! I'm pretty sure Lyndsey and I are fired! :)

Sorry there are no pictures of little miss, but she had fun too! A little too much I was told...she was smooched by a boy named Dylan. But don't worry Bobby and Cooper, I'm sure it was just a VBS fling! :)

Six Months

2010-07-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I know every mother says this, but I really CAN NOT believe Ellie is already six months old! It seems like yesterday that I had her. As I was waiting to have children, time seemed to stand still and now it won't slow down! Ugh!

Ellie is a professional roller and starting to sit up! I am in no hurry for her to be mobile, I have one other that moves as fast as lightning! :) She is eating baby food and adding dimples to her chunky thighs daily! She has the biggest blue eyes and smiles all day!

Ellison Reese, you are a huge blessing! Happy half birthday! Now stop growing! :)

Vacation Continued...

2010-07-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

Family Vacation 2010

2010-07-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

This was our first ever Cox/Brewer/Mirkes family vacation! We each LOADED our cars up and headed to Port Aransas for some fun in the sun! Someone at church last Sunday told us that we needed to keep in mind that taking kids means it's a TRIP, not a VACATION! Ha! Whatever the case, we had a great time! There was a lot of beach time, pool time, sitting on the porch time, and looottttsss of eating time!

Hudson was not afraid of the water one bit, but he did not care for the salt getting in his mouth and eyes! He made several "sandcastles" and used a lot of restraint not to destroy Grace and Maddie's castles! Ellie layed out a little bit (still no tan though) and spent a lot of time in Mimi's arms!

Thank you to Mimi and Paw-Paw and the rest of the fam for a fun time and enduring Hudson screaming "It's wake up time!" every morning at 7:00 a.m. :)

Country Livin'

2010-07-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

We just spent a week with my parents in Kaufman while Dusty was gone on a mission trip. My kids love some country livin'! All we did was play outside, swim, play outside, eat ice cream, swim, play outside...you get it! Thank you to Mimi and Paw-Paw and the rest of the fam for hanging out and playing with my little ones! They loved it and mommy loved the help! :)

Stay tuned! Someone is turning SIX months (sigh) and a bunch of somebodies are going to the beach next week!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful, relaxed July 4th with friends! We have all been sick for the last week, so we were ready for some summer fun! After naps, we headed to the pool and soaked up the sun that's been missing for a week! Ellie loves the pool, and with all the sunbathing she's doing, you would think she would have the slightest tan...but no! And Hudson can't get enough of the water! He was too busy "swimming" for pictures!

We enjoyed a yummy dinner and then headed out to watch the city firework show! Ellie fell asleep the second we got there and Hudson barely made it! Long day, but well worth it!

Happy 4th of July from our little firecrackers!!

Where Have We Been??

2010-06-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

South Padre!!

Dusty, Ellie and I went to youth camp last week! That's right, Ellie went to camp, and she LOVED it! She was BEYOND amazing! I could not believe how great she did! She must be love the beach just like her momma! :) We had a great time and God did some incredible things in the lives of our students! But we are glad to be home with our kids, ready to enjoy more summer!

This is the only picture I took all week! I know, shame on me!

Father's Day

2010-06-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty quiet start to Father's Day...church. lunch with friends. napping. And then our son returned home from being at Mimi and Paw-Paw's for a week! So combine Hudson being spoiled for a week and the fact that there is not a quiet bone in his body. Daddy was glad to have gotten a nap!

I am beyond thankful for my husband! He is such a wonderful dad! Even though parenthood is hard sometimes, we are in it together, and I couldn't ask for a better partner for this journey! And it makes me smile to watch Hudson do something new and say "Daddy do that!" Love you babe!

Note: Ellie was not harmed in this picture!

Rice Cereal!

2010-06-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled, these smiles we not because she loved her rice cereal! She was cracking up at her big brother! Everytime she smiled her full mouth smile, I shoveled some in! Since this first attempt, Ellie has decided it's not so bad. My little mama is getting big on me already!

Congrats!

2010-06-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

We were able to take a quick trip to Granny's last weekend to celebrate with our nephew Ethan on his high school graduation! Hudson LOVES Granny's house! He loves playing with cars, playing outside and playing with his cousins! As you can see, he and Addison have become good buddies!

Congratulations Ethan! We are proud of you!!

Ellie, Meet Bobby!

2010-05-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Lydia came to visit on Saturday and Ellie got to meet a new friend, Bobby! These two were absolutely ADORABLE together. That sat and looked, smiled and laughed at each other...so cute! And they enjoyed a little swim together too! Hudson got to meet Bobby too, but he is much too busy for pictures!

Thanks for coming to see us! Maybe these pictures could be used at a wedding rehearsal someday!! :)

Stats

2010-05-30T16:00:00.001-07:00

Weight-13 lbs. 8 oz.
Length-25 in.
And it was confirmed by our doctor that she is the smartest 4 month old in Austin. :)

4 Months!

2010-05-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ellie is 4 months old!! We'll get the official stats at her appointment on Monday, but we're pretty sure the doctor will tell us she's a genius! :) I'm not sure how someone so little and petite can also have dimpled, chunky thighs, but Ellie totally pulls it off! We are looking forward to the coming months...rice cereal, rolling over, etc! Love our little girl!!

Last Day!

2010-05-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Goodbye school!!!

Hello Summer!!!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus! We are back!

So last year on Mother's Day I wrote a post about how we were unsure about the future of our family. Little did I know God had already blessed me with another miracle! And today on this Mother's Day, we dedicated her to the Lord in church! I am more than blessed!

(I am going to start blogging stories about Hudson and things he says so I won't forget!) He made a card this week at school that read "I love my mommy because...toys!" I'm not exactly sure what this means, but I love it and will keep it always! And he was totally over pictures by the time we got home, but I love him just as much! :) And I know I'm not supposed to put you on the blog mom, but I couldn't resist an all girl picture!

Happy Mother's Day!

Ellie's Baby Dedication

2010-05-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

I can't think of a better day for baby dedication than Mother's Day! We know that God has given us our children as a gift, so we want to dedicate them to Him and promise to Him, our family and church family that we will raise them to know Him and His truth. More than any success, wealth or popularity, we want our children to have a personal relationship with Christ and to have character that reflects Him. We will pray faithfully!

Happy Baby Dedication Day Ellison! We love you!

Olivia Turns 1!!

2010-05-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Olivia! Thanks for inviting us to your garden party! We had so much fun! We love you so much!

Family Pics Spring 2010

2010-04-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

3 Months!

2010-04-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

Ellison is three months today! She is growing and changing right before our eyes. She is smiling, cooing and trying to laugh...it's pretty much adorable! And even though mommy is telling her to stop, she is really trying to be a big girl, holding her head up and acting like she wants to roll over. No, no, no Ellie!

Sweet story...tonight as we were putting Hudson to bed, he leaned over to kiss Ellie and said "Ellie pretty!" Are you kidding me?! Melt my heart!!

A Boy and his Mower

2010-04-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Does everyone remember the Great Christmas Tantrum of 2009?! Well, the obsession for mowers and various yard equipment continues. Hudson wakes up thinking of the mower, blower, weedeater and trimmer and goes to bed thinking/praying for them as well. That's right, Hudson thanks God each night for the mower, blower, weedeater and trimmer. In that exact order. Bless his little heart! And we discovered Hudson's new toy store...Home Depot! I'm thinking since it is supposed to rain here all week, we'll be taking a trip to the HD to walk the mower aisle a few times!

Worth noting: Hudson loves the mower with all his heart, until daddy starts it and then he runs like the wind into the house. :) God love him!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Be prepared to crack up at our Easter 2010 picture! Ellie is totally over this whole Easter thing! Ha!

We have had a lovely Easter weekend together as a family! We worked in the yard, went to the park and discovered Hudson's new favorite place...Home Depot! (Stay tuned for a post to explain this!) This morning we had Hudson's Easter basket waiting for him and he bypassed all candy filled eggs for the dump truck and Bob the Builder DVD! His exact words were "Ooooo!" Way to go Easter Bunny!

And while Easter baskets and Reese's peanut butter bunnies (yum!) are all well and good, we are starting to teach Hudson why we celebrate Easter. Dusty and I are so thankful for the sacrifice that was made for us and we want nothing more than for our children to know that love too.

Happy Easter from the Brewer's!

Late

2010-03-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Late seems to sum up my life these days! I'm pretty much 15 minutes late wherever I go, late sending out birth announcements and now two weeks late on showing off my two month old! I hope my sweet Ellie Reese will forgive me for being late!

Hoppin' down the Bunny Trail...

2010-03-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hudson still hasn't quite caught on to the hunting part of an Easter Egg hunt! First, he walked right past about 50 eggs and then (with much encouragement) picked one up, opened it and he was done! We really had to help him along. He ended up with 5 eggs, out of about 2000!!!

But on the bright side, he loved the Easter bunny! The Easter bunny was my friend Krisit in disguise and when he saw her at school today, he said "Kristi, rabbit!" He is such a funny kid!

This has been a big week! Ellie went to the nursery for the first time on Sunday and today was her first day of school! She is such a big girl!! And if you can't see in the pictures, big brother had his first big accident this week. (Kind of surprised something like this hasn't happened sooner!) He fell and busted his eye on a big rock on Sunday. :( And of course, we're having a family picture taken this weekend! Lovely! Oh, how I love my little bunnies!

I'm 2!!!

2010-03-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hudson is officially a terrible/terrific 2!! He is very independent and beginning to challenge mommy and daddy a bit! But he brings so much joy to our lives with his smile, kisses, dancing, "reading", prayers and NEVER ENDING talking! We are so proud of him and can't wait to see what the next year brings for him!

Hudson, Ellie and I spent some time with my family while Dusty was away. We went to the Dallas Zoo and enjoyed another birthday celebration on the 18th! Note: Hudson did not want his cupcake for the second year in a row. Hmmm...it's looking like we will always have cookie cake! (That's for you EW!)

Happy Birthday again to our little man!

Party Time Continued...

2010-03-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

By the time we got to Hoppin' House, we only had 45 minutes to jump and let me tell you...these three went non-stop for 45 minutes! They had so much fun! And if you can tell from the last picture, Hudson was not happy about leaving! :)

Happy Birthday Hudson! We love you!!

Party Time!

2010-03-12T20:08:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but Hudson is turning 2!! We celebrated early tonight because Dusty is leaving in the morning for a mission trip and won't be here on the 18th. (No worries, we discussed this a long time ago!) We celebrated in high style...with Elmo! We had the Testone's and my parents here for pizza, presents and cookie cake! Hudson was in full force, running around screaming "Elmo birthday, Elmo birthday!" I think this year was MUCH better than the first birthday!

We then headed to Hoppin' House for some bounce house fun! See next post!

Ellie Smiles

2010-03-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, you can barely tell, but she's quick! I can't wait for more Ellie smiles!

Also, I want to ask my friends and family who are reading this blog (I have no idea who you are) to join me in prayer for my sweet friend Kim. She delivered precious twins, Karsyn and Kaden last Wednesday at 24 weeks. They are facing a long NICU stay and both have already undergone surgery. They are little fighters, but need to be lifted up in prayer. Kim is a great writer and is sharing their journey on her blog. We love you Brewer's!

Big and Little

2010-03-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

I wonder if Ellie's facial expressions are a sign of what's to come between this Big Brother and Little Sister?!

Finally...SNOW!

2010-02-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

Yay! We finally got snow today! We had been pretty jealous of all our North Texas friends and family who received snow a couple of weeks ago, so we were very excited to wake up to flurries today! And they just kept coming all day!

Dusty and Hudson got out this afternoon to play and build a Santa snowman! He of course, would not pose next to the finished product! Ellie spent her snow day indoors, looking at the snow through the window!!

And as I write this, the snow is pretty much gone! Fun while it lasted!