Adam to the Rescue!

     This morning started off great with a fabulous breakfast of pumpkin waffles made by my wonderful hubby. Then, we headed over to the Maker's Fair in downtown Shreveport where we sampled local coffee, helped a family get closer to their adoption by buying yummy treats, and even purchased an awesome handmade cutting board. So far, so good! Next, we grabbed lunch to-go at Logan Farms and then drove out to Eddie D. Jones Park in Keithville. The plan was for Adam to ride two laps on the mountain bike trail while Sara Beth and I hiked it.Sounds good, right?
     So, I loaded Sara Beth in the backpack and off we went on our little adventure. We had been hiking for about 15 minutes when I realized my first mistake. Never wear new shoes when you are carrying a heavy pack (with precious cargo) while by yourself in the woods. OK. I knew better, but if I never wear them, when will they ever get broken in? No problem. I decided to cut the hike short and bail out at the next road crossing. . . which never came. Mistake number two: Never go hiking without a map. OK. I knew better, but I've ridden this trail tons of times on my bike and it's a small park. I didn't even know they had maps.
We hiked on. Fifteen minutes turned into an hour, and every step came with a burning sharp pain on both of my heels. I knew I was blistering, but I avoided stopping to look because I was in the middle of the woods and there was nothing I could do about it. Mistake #3: Never go hiking without moleskin for blisters. OK. I knew better about this too. Boy, I sure do have a bunch of knowledge that I didn't use today!
     At this point, I really needed to get back to the car. I was in a lot of pain! Sara Beth, on the other hand, was fast asleep in the backpack. Then I saw it-- a gravel road. I had no idea which way to go, but I figured either way would lead to civilization and that had to be better than going deeper and deeper into the woods. Right? Wrong! I walked on the road for 15 or 20 minutes and then broke down and called Adam. The tears came! Luckily, he had just finished a lap and was back at the trail head. Long story short. . .
     I walked back down the road and rejoined the trail. Adam frantically searched for us and finally found us where two trails came together. He walked barefoot (more comfy than walking in his bike shoes) while carrying the baby backpack and pushing his bike. I trudged along slowly wincing in pain. Finally we got to a clearing (and some gravel roads) where we stopped and layed down a blanket. I nursed and changed Sara Beth while Adam rode back to the car. Next thing I knew, here comes my knight in shining armor, driving his trusty steed (our Outback) through a cloud of dust. Adam to the rescue!

     The blisters are pretty bad! We got more adventure than we planned for, but all in all, it was a good day!

About to set off on our hike

Changing diapers in the great outdoors

Ouch!



The cutting board we bought at the Maker's Fair today



Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

With Daddy at Waffle House on the way there

     Earlier this month, we took a fun trip up to northern Arkansas to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. We stayed in a cabin with three other couples, Diana and Justin Reneau (& Tristen of course!), Rodney and Katrina Skyles (& their baby, Ryder, who is still a bun in the oven right now), and Emily and JD (friends of Rodney's from church). It was quite a long drive (6-8 hours depending on how many times we had to stop with SB) for just a weekend, but it was well worth it. We had a great time rock climbing, hiking, and hanging out with friends! Rodney even led us in a Bible study Sunday morning on the porch of our cabin. The weather was perfect and so were the babies! Who would have thought you could take two 5 month old babies rock climbing? So fun! Here are some pictures of the weekend.

In the backpack, ready to hike

Me, climbing

Sharing toys!

Adam lead climbing for Justin. Scary!

All that hiking put her to sleep

Justin climbed up and took our picture. Emily is MIA.

Beautiful view at the ranch

The Harts

Hiking

Love the leg! Chilling out on the long ride home.

Pumpkin Shine

     I have so many posts to catch up on, but I decided that I should throw in the recent ones as I go so I don't continue to get behind....
     This week, we headed out to Betty Virginia Park for the annual Pumpkin Shine on Line. People from this area, mostly school kids, bring their decorated pumpkins to line the half-mile walking track at the park. Some are funny; some are cute; and a few are scary! Thousands of people show up for this event and it's usually shoulder to shoulder. If you come at night, all the pumpkin displays are lit up. We went before dark since we had the babies with us this year.
     My mom, dad, nieces, and our friends, Diana, Justin, and Tristen Reneau came over to join in the fun. Sara Beth loves to play with Tristen (as I'm sure you've noticed in my other posts), so it was good to get them together again. Afterwards, I had Halloween cupcakes for everyone to munch on. Yummy!


SB and Tristen "chatting" before we left.

The babies in their B.O.B. strollers

One of the pumpkin displays

Our little family. Notice how SB's legs are blurry? She kicks them constantly!

SB and her cousin Shelby

Papaw, Nana, Cousins Maddy and Shelby (not the best picture, but the only one I have)

Chocolate Cinnnamon Cupcakes w/ buttercream frosting

Happy Birthday, Carol!

     This is sooooo belated, but Happy Birthday to my sweet friend (and SB's adopted grandmaw), Carol! Her birthday was at the beginning of October, but like I said before, I've been slacking on the blog. SB and I brought her a special lunch along with this apron that I monogrammed with my mom-in-law's new embroidery machine. I know she enjoyed the company and we sure did have fun visiting her!

Shoes!

     Sara Beth has the cutest feet! I'm sure everybody thinks that about their babies though. Her Nana and Nonni have bought her quite a collection of cute shoes already, but she rarely wears them. I just can't stand to cover up those little piggies! It's getting cooler though, so I'm going to lose this shoe battle whether I like it or not. On one of the first chilly mornings in October, Sara Beth wore shoes for the first time. Here's the proof!

     Speaking of shoes. . .

For one of my recent sewing projects, I made Sara Beth a pair of fleece shoes. They came out really cute, but they don't stay on her feet very well. So much work for such tiny little shoes!

Church Nursery

     I haven't blogged much lately (mainly because I've been extremely busy), so these next few entries are long past due.

     The first Sunday in October was Sara Beth's first time to go to the church nursery. We've been putting it off and just bringing her along with us to Sunday School each week. That worked out OK for a while, but she finally got too active to keep coming with us. I don't think anyone heard much of the lesson for the last few weeks that we brought her. She hardly ever fussed, but she certainly used her voice a lot. She did great and the nursery workers were very sweet! Adam and I got to go to both Sunday School AND the worship service for the first time in 5 months. Here are a few pictures from her first nursery visit.

Decisions, Decisions

   We very rarely dress up for Halloween, mainly just because we're lazy. But, this year is SB's first Halloween so we HAVE to dress up, right?! I'm having a hard time deciding what costume to make for Sara Beth this year. I've narrowed it down to 3 options: a bumblebee, a puppy (a.k.a. Zilla), or Pebbles (her ponytail inspired this one). Now, I need your help! Please cast your vote on the right side of this page. You have until Sunday to vote. I would give you longer, but I need to started making the costume ASAP, you know. Happy Halloween, everybody!

Fabulous Five Months

     Sara Beth is 5 months old! She is sweet as sugar and growing up way too fast! I'm so grateful that I'm able to stay at home with her this year. I hate to imagine all that I would be missing if I had to work. This month has been filled with more "firsts", as I'm sure every month will be for a while. In the past couple of weeks, she has gotten a little bit chunky. There are cute little fat rolls everywhere! She is finally outgrowing her 3 month outfits, which is fine because she has a closet full of fall and winter clothes to wear. We are loving the change of weather. Our walks are much more pleasant these days with the cooler temperatures. We're also looking forward to the upcoming holidays. . . her first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, and first Christmas. Sara Beth will soon have a new little cousin to play with too. My sister-in-law, Carie, is due on Halloween with a precious little boy who will be named Charlie. We can't wait!

At 5 months old, Sara Elizabeth Hart. . .
- loves putting her toes in her mouth.
- chews on anything she can get in her mouth. Those teeth will be coming any day now, I bet!
- likes being on her tummy now. She has much better control and can rest on her elbows. She can even grab toys and play with them while she's on her tummy.
- always giggles when we play peek-a-boo with her.
- has the cutest smile when she wrinkles up her nose.
- can sit up unassisted.
- loves to bang her toys on the floor or the table. . . or even on her head.
- still loves reading, although we mainly read board books now because she likes to grab the pages. Adam is even teaching her how to turn the pages for him when he reads to her.
- loves being outside! She quiets down as soon as we walk out. She takes daily walks with her momma and her dog. Adam's been practicing walking with her in our hiking backpack lately. She loves looking at the trees. Her Nana takes her on walks when she keeps her too. At Opa and Nonni's house, she likes to swing out by the pier or rock on the porch.
- is getting very interested in our cat, Sasha. She watches her walk back and forth, give herself a bath, and sleep in the dog's bed. That cat is very interesting!
- still sleeps through the night (about 9 or 10 hours). She generally takes one long nap (1-2 hours) and several short naps (20-45 minutes) during the day.
- is such a blessing to her family! We love her more than words can say!!!

Toes!



Always full of smiles!



"Reading" up a storm!

Her first ponytail. So cute!



Her very first time to sit up (4.5 month old). Sorry it's so grainy. It's a cell phone picture.

October 1, 2010- Happy 5 Month Birthday, Sara Beth!