Swimming Lessons

Hadley is currenlty taking swimming lessons at TCU. She is doing so great! Actually she is doing so well that sometimes she doesn't want Mommy's help at all. Have I mentioned that she is very independent. Here are a couple of pictures from lessons. The first is getting ready to go to lessons. Then one of her sitting in the little pool at the beginning of lessons. It was really hot that day, (105 to be exact!) so Daddy didn't stay at the lessons long to get many pictures.

Rana's Visit

The Rana's arrived on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, Ryan and Brent took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese while Anne & I visited the Kimbell Art Museum. When we first moved here, I saw that Kimbell had a great impressionists art collect on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago. I had told Brent that this was a must-see for me. Let me tell you, it was beautiful (and it beat the heck out of a rat in a pizza joint).

It featured paintings by Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. I'm not a huge art fan, but this was all stuff that I was familiar with from my art appreciation class in college. I'm really glad that I had the chance to see it.

Pictures from the Stockyards

Kids riding on a stage coach

Hadley & Jude on their horses

Hadley, Abby, & Jude on Wyatt Earp's star on the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Walk

A real deal cowboy in the Stockyards!

Visit from Mom, Rhonda, & Taylor

On our way back from Fayetteville, we stayed a couple of nights in Searcy with Jan & Dewey. Misty and the kids came to visit, as did Grannie & Granddaddy. For some reason, I failed to take any pictures but we had a great visit. We got to see the Haigwood clan which was really fun! Hadley seemed to really enjoy herself. On Sunday, Mom, Rhonda, & Taylor followed us back to Texas. We had a wonderful visit. I got to show them around my new hometown. I got to explore some new areas like the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Hulen Mall. Although the mall is just a few blocks away, I hadn't had time to make a visit. We took everyone to Joe T. Garcia's for dinner one night. This place is an institution in Fort Worth. For dinner, the choice is simple, either fajitas or enchiladas. That's it.

Mom & Rhonda stayed through Wednesday. Then the Rana's arrived.

Hadley & Taylor

Sis & I at Joe T.'s

Brent & Mom at Joe T. 's

Rhonda and the Girls at the Stockyards getting ready for the cattle drive

Hey there Cowgirl!

Back in NW Arkansas

Last Tuesday, we headed back north to Fayetteville for a few days. Brent defended his dissertation on Wednesday. We tried to mix a little pleasure with business. We stayed with the Ranas at their new home in Siloam Springs.

The kids had a great time playing together. Hadley got to go to the last 2 days of swimming lessons with Abby & Jude. Since our lessons started the next week, this was a great warm up. As you can see from the pictures, she did get into the water! This is a really big step for her.

On Wednesday afternoon, we took the kiddos to the Safari at Gentry. I know it may seem odd, but there are lions, tigers, and bears (oh, my) in the sleepy little town of Gentry. There was a petting zoo area were you were free to walk around. Jude was completely fearless. I think he would have cradled right into the kangaroo's pouch if he could have fit. Hadley was not quite so brave. I got a workout carrying her around. Her "Momma, holda me" was the theme for the walking tour. We saw monkeys, goats, peacocks, turtles, and even a baby tiger playing with its buddy, a baby pig. Then we hopped in the van and headed on the driving tour. We saw tons of deer like animals, zebras, emus, lamas, bears, tigers, lions, rhinos & hippos, etc. Just about everything but an elephant. Don't you know the squirrels have some wild tales to share with their buddies.

Photos from our visit with the Rana's

Brent's Defense

Brent is the happy one in the middle. I think that he is delighted that everything is completed. Dissertation has been defended, copies are at the Graduate School, all is good!

Happy Birthday to You

Hadley is 2

Can you believe Hadley is already 2!?! If you ask her old she is, she proudly boasts that she is 5. She is growing up so fast, I know that she will be 5 before I know it. We celebrated her birthday with a party the Saturday before her birthday. Brent's parents, my parents, Aunt Misty and her kiddos (Madelyn & Will), Aunt Rhonda and her kiddos (Jackson & Taylor), and Anne, Abby, and Jude attended her party. Hadley is really into Pooh right now, so she had a Pooh Party.

New House

We are getting settled into our new house and new life here in Fort Worth. Brent did a wonderful job finding a home for our family! It meets all of our needs. One of favorite things about the house is that it is so close to everything, yet I never have to get out in much traffic. People have asked about the area. The only thing that I know to compare it to the Heights area in Little Rock, but being right next to the amendities of West Little Rock. Here are some pictures of our new home.