The McClure Clan

Heather's New Hobby

2011-06-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

After years of walking the scrapbook aisles in wonderment I decided to take a class to get me started in the right direction. I will say that it's been a rewarding three classes thus far and I feel like I have a good grasp on what to do. I'm taking the course through Michael's and happened to have gotten an AMAZING teacher. She has years of experience and brings one of her personal scrapbooks every week to use as an example of the topics covered in the curriculum. Not only do I feel like I've learned how to scrapbook but I've seen a snapshot into her life through the pages of her books... I've laughed and cried during class and learned that scrap booking is a fabulous tool for passing on personal histories, emotions and traditions to generations to come. Introducing my first scrapbook page...

Summer Harvest

2011-06-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Although it's just now officially summer we've been "enjoying" extreme summer weather for a few weeks now. Along with this we've been enjoying our summer garden harvests. We have had TONS of tomatoes, jalapenos and a few cucumbers. I've canned some of the goodness in the form of pickled peppers, green tomato salsa and homemade marinara sauce so that we can enjoy summer even when it finally cools off.

Big Girl Beds

2011-06-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first night that Quinn and Wesley slept in their "big girl" beds. Quinn has been sleeping in a toddler bed which used to be her crib. Wesley has been sleeping in her crib. We bought them matching white, twin beds. We haven't bought their bedding yet but they were very eager to sleep in the new beds tonight. Hopefully it's a smooth night for everyone.

Quinn put some of her favorite "babies" on her bed including Sparkles, the rabbit.

Quinn and her babies

Wesley testing it out

Quinn gives it a try

Wesley, her ducky, and her new bed.

Happy Birthday to Mike!

2011-06-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to Mike! For his birthday he got golf cupcakes and a new golf bag. Quinn and Wesley also picked out a Spider Man toothbrush for him. Then, we went to The Highball for dinner, drinks and bowling.

The Beach!

2011-06-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took the girls and met up with some friends in Port Aransas. We rented the same condo that we were introduced to by the Johnson family last summer. Wish they could have joined in the fun this year!

The girls running to the water as soon as we went to the beach after getting

in on Thursday afternoon.

Mike at the beach

Wesley was absolutely adorable running to and fro with the tide.

Mike and the girls in the water

Wet Wesley

Quinn is excited!

Silly Quinn

The girls in the car headed to the beach. This is the last time over

the weekend the car will not be filled with sand.

Quinn attempts to surf on a kick board and surprisingly did pretty well.

Mommy and Wesley in the shade

Wesley feeding the gulls

Girls building a sandcastle

Quinn swimming

Again and again

Wesley takes a rest

Sand time!

Quinn refused to look at the camera...

Emily getting more tan by the second

Wesley naps on Laura while they sit in the tide.

The gang has dinner at Beaches on Saturday night -

before the full effects of the sunburns set in.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-06-07T18:39:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day this year most of the family converged on Corazon at Castle Hill for brunch. The food was delicious and we had a good time. Little Frank happened to be in town for a wedding so we were just missing Luke and Sarah - five out of seven kids isn't too bad!

Julian, Ezra and Quinn

Mark finally arrives!

Quinn and the "Frankies"

My momma and me...

Frank, Sam and Mark

Mom-oh and the girls

Dancing Quinn

2011-06-07T18:11:00.001-07:00

Quinn has been taking ballet and tap class since August 2010. Her first recital was on May 7, 2011. Last summer she took a week long dance camp which culminated in a "mini-recital" at the studio where the girls performed one song. During this performance she was shy and didn't dance - just stood in place despite the fact that her teachers described her performance all week as "in it to win it". This time she blew it out of the water with a fabulous performance in two different dances. Even after the recital she still does her dances and watches the video over and over. I think she'll be dancing for a long time!

Getting ready - Wesley needed her hair done too.

Not yet, Dad! I'm not ready yet!

Ready to go!

Although, she was supposed to be in her tap costume first.

I was "backstage mom" so I was able to switch her costume

before showtime.

Tap Routine

"The Farmer and The Cowman" from Oklahoma!

The recital itself was called "Back to Broadway"

and all the numbers were set to songs from Broadway musicals.

Ballet Routine

"So Long, Farewell" from The Sound of Music

Quinn and Sophie after the show.

Quinn and Caroline
All of the girls were tired, hungry, and cranky

despite their beautiful flowers and shiny new trophies.

Quinn was very adamant before her recital that she didn't want anyone to come watch her. She didn't want Mike or Mom-o there to see her perform. Because we had to be at the auditorium before the audience we fibbed to Quinn and told her that Mike was just dropping us off and that he'd be back later to pick us up. Weeks after the recital when we were watching it on DVD she asked how Mike knew about the performances already and I told her that he had watched them. She disappointedly whined, "I didn't want Daddy to come." Ha!

Happy Birthday to Quinn!

2011-06-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

For her 4th birthday Quinn had a "Fancy Nancy" themed party. She loves the books and we thought it would make for a great party. The weather that day was absolutely gorgeous and the kids enjoyed running around, through the yard, over the playscape and upstairs through the playroom in their "fancy" clothes. Each guest went home with glittery body spray for the girls and fancy hair gel and combs for the boys.

Quinn's Invitation

Everyone singing to the Birthday Girl.
She held her eyes down and relished every second of the attention.

Just after the candles were blown out.

The "fancy" kids eat their cupcakes and parfaits outside.

The Birthday Girl and her cupcake

Miles!

Zailey and Zander Falk

Happy Birthday to Wesley!

2011-06-07T17:41:00.001-07:00

Wesley's birthday falls just two days before Valentine's Day. This year we had a heart themed bash to celebrate her 2nd birthday. The weather was surprisingly pleasant for mid-February. In Texas, you never know what you'll get as far as the weather goes. The kids enjoyed decorating their own sugar cookies, which we packaged up and sent home as their favors.

The cake and gift table.

Pink fondant hearts detail

The birthday girl decorating her cookie.

Big sister Quinn

Singing - just before she blew out the candles

The whole family!

Snow Day 2011!

2011-02-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke to a white blanket of snow on our yard. The past few days have been frigid so the snow at least was something to break up the monotony. It took us about thirty minutes to get dressed and we spent about three minutes outside. Wesley is wearing three sweaters because she refused to wear her very warm coat. As soon as we walked back in the house she asked for her coat to be put on while she ate lunch. Quinn did one snow angel (quicker than I could capture her in the act) and instantly ran to the front door begging to go inside. I suppose we'll have to invest in better winter wear if we ever relocate to a place with true winter.

The girls on the driveway.

You can still see Daddy's tracks from when he left for work about four hours earlier.

Quinn's-quick-as-a-wink snow angel.

The house...

The view of the street

The girls inthe grass...

The dog bowl's been frozen over for days....

The back yard.

Pollock speeding back in the house after a speedy trip outside.

I took one of Boone too but going that fast they looked identical.

Baxter sat by the back door to be let out but immediately changed his mind when I opened the door.

Wesley's New Haircut

2011-01-29T16:51:00.001-08:00

It was time for Wesley's hair to be cut. We had cut her bangs before but she'd never had a proper hair cut...

Before...

After...
She's learned to make a big, cheesy smile when the camera comes out.

Merry Christmas 2010!

2011-01-29T16:31:00.000-08:00

Each year the girls make an ornament to put on their tree. This is what they looked like at the end of the activity....

Mike's new addition to our yard decor - Bevo!

All lit up

Making (or tasting) cookies for Santa.

On Christmas Eve we all get to open one gift - a set of new pajamas.

The girls as they open their new pjs.

Mike and his little girls.

Quinn and Wesley getting the cookies ready for Santa.

Taking the cookies to the hearth.

Mmmmm....
And to think - there almost were no cookies for Santa. The power went out in our area for a few hours and we weren't sure we'd have enough time. Fortunately, it came back on in time to fire up the oven and make the snacks.

The girls and some gifts on Christmas morning.

Sweet November

2011-01-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

November was a beautiful month in Austin, Texas. The girls played outside every day because the weather was perfect. After we set up our fall yard decor, Quinn would ask me to take her picture every day with the pumpkins. I've shared just three of a million that we took.

We wrapped up November by celebrating Thanksgiving with most of our family and extended family - almost 20 people!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to everyone! We celebrated by having a few friends over to join us while trick or treating. My apologies that I didn't get a photo of all of our friends.

Princess Aurora and Snow White playing in the front yard.

Wesley sneaking some popcorn before the guests arrive.

Quinn with poses with the roses.

Ezra - making his uncle proud.

Jetty is Batman.

Tessa (aka Wonder Woman) and sweet lil' Lilli who showed off her new ability to walk.

The best costume award goes to Miles Moehle as a robot!

His mom is the coolest and a very creative and talented woman!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

2010-10-22T20:19:00.001-07:00

I can always count on the girls to help me blow out the candles. Thank you girls for being such sweeties. We all loved the cookies n' cream ice cream cake!

Like, Happy Birthday, Heather!

2010-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

This year we celebrated my birthday with a 1980's party at 219 West. It was so much fun!

Mike and Heather

2/5 of the Denman dudes.

Darrell and Tania Tompkins

Angie and Rory Behnke.

A tipsy lady in the restroom asked Angie "Are you from New Jersey?"

Lisa Perry, Jerry Kamppi and Christi Ingram.

Lisa wins for the biggest shoulder pads - totally.

Linnea Falk with her authentic 1980s highschool letterman jacket.

Nate and Michelle Norris

Jaime talking on his briefcase phone.

Patrick and Laura Candelaria

Check out Sandi's fluorescent gloves!

Scott and Natalie McClure.

Natalie had her 80s class ring and one puffy heart earring.

The gang...

Steven Leigh and Kia Holland.

Kia shows of her blue eyeshadow.
It's a well known fact that it is impossible for Kia to have her eyes open in a photo.

Carl Holland with his popped collar.

The Allen party stopped by since they were in the neighborhood.

Belts and butts...

Frank, Heather and Mark

Laura hams it up for the camera.

Happy Half Birthday, Quinners!

2010-09-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

Three and half years ago today Quinn changed our lives forever by coming into this world! We celebrated with a cookie cake and dinner at Red Robin (her choice).

Chocolate Chip Cookie!

The sisters at dinner.

Quinn practiced singing "Happy Half Birthday" to herself all day.

After the girls picked of a large bit of the decorations.

They were more excited about the icing than the cookie.

California Dreamin'

2010-09-10T19:02:00.001-07:00

While discussing what to do for Labor Day Weekend we decided to take a trip to California to visit Mike's family and Mickey Mouse. We were gone just shy of a week and a had a really great time!

Mike's brother and nephew, Rob and Jeremy at dinner.

Bob and Nellie aka Pawpaw and Grandma

Pawpaw and the girls at Laguna Beach.

It was so cold people were playing beach volleyball in sweats.

Quinn on the slide

Quinn took this nice photo of Pawpaw.

The girls make a new friend on the beach.

Our first tram ride - the girls had no idea how much fun to expect.

The Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit

Pluto! Wesley was not too fond of the plush characters.

Chip and Dale!

Minnie Mouse!

Donald Duck!

Snow White!

This was the first princess that the girls met. Quinn was completely enthralled.

The look on her wide-eyed face was priceless.

Cinderella!

(Wesley's still not too sure.)

Our first ride - Peter Pan!

Both girls were a little shocked by it.

Quinn's response was "I want to go home." She quickly got over that.

Dumbo!

We rode this everyday. Twice on the last day.

Wesley on the carousel.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Heather and Mr. Toad.

Quinn's face as we went down the first drop of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Wesley right before she fell asleep on her Aunt Martina on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Wesley after Pirates of the Caribbean.

The Lady Bug ride at California Adventure

with cousins Johanna and Jeremy.

The Hungry Caterpillar ride.

Mike and Wesley

Alice and the girls.

(Wesley still has not warmed tot he characters and this is our second day.)

Alice mocks Wesley.

Mickey and the McClures.

Teacups!

Goofy!

Dumbo (again)!

Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo!

Both girls needing their Mommy.

Winnie the Pooh!

Surprisingly Wesley LOVED him and even hugged him!

Go ahead.... take our picture with Eeyore.

TTFN!

Tinkerbell!

Ariel.
(We looked long an hard for her - she was the most elusive of the princesses.)

Cotton Candy girls.

Aurora!

Mike and Wesley on Dumbo.

Quinn knocking on the White Rabbit's door.

Boo hoo!

The girls before....

During...

And after!

Two Princess Auroras!

Our lil' Aurora and Snow White.

Sleeping Beauties

Happy Half Birthday, Wesley!

2010-08-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today sweet Wesley turned 1 1/2! Here in the McClure house we celebrate 1/2 birthdays and here are some moments from the celebration.

We've had our baths - we're ready!

Mmmmm. Chocolate chip cookie cake!

The half-birthday girl!

Quinners!

Woo hoo!

Wesley listens to us singing.

Quinn helps blow out the candle.

Wesley enjoys her treats.

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-05T17:52:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the Fourth of July this year at home with a bunch of friends. Mike smoked a brisket all day long and everyone else pitched in side dishes to make a fabulous feast. We topped the night off with a huge fireworks display provided by our friends Tom and Jerry. The weather was very pleasant and hopefully everyone had a great time!

The girls - ready for guests!

Daddy and his girls.

Waiting patiently for their friends.

The Candelaria's

Tom and Jerry -

in coordinating ensembles.

Lisa and Adam Perry with Ricky

The Henry's

The Falk Family

The Behnke's

The other McClure's

Dena and Miles

Snacks with flags

Hanging out...

Rory - the Meat Master carving the Brisket

Mmmmm.

Some of the spread

Wesley enjoying her dessert while watching the other kids with sparklers

Quinn and her sparkler

Kate and Sean watch the fireworks
(Doug and Nate pictured in the background. Unfortunately,

I didn't get another photo of them - eek!)

Backyard fun.

Sam and Frank

The kids were a little scared by the amazing and huge fireworks display so

they opted for The Jungle Book and jumping on the bed.

Goodbye kisses from Jerry.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

After getting home from the beach this afternoon, we all gave Mike his Father's Day gifts including a set of photo mugs of the girls, some "McClure's" pickles and some cool grill accessories from Williams Sonoma. These gifts do not begin to show him our appreciation for what a great dad he is. Thanks, Mike for all you do for our family.

We love you with all our hearts.

Life's A Beach!

2010-06-20T15:46:00.001-07:00

We joined our friends, the Johnson's and Sasha's parents, The Horner's for a weekend in Port Aransas this past weekend. This was the girls' first trip to the beach and they were in heaven! Everyone had a great time and we're already ready to go back.

Quinn strides out into the surf.

Wesley's headed back to shore.

She's excited!

And loves watching the tide roll in and out!

Quinn and Ainsley played like crazy. What energy!

Playing in the tide...

She looks so tiny!

Wesley, Daddy and the big Texas sky.

Beach babes turned couch potatoes!

Cool shades.

Breakfast time!

Quinn wearing her "beltseat" on the way to feed the gulls on our last morning at the beach.
(with baby, of course.)

My bunny and her bunny.

Sasha and Ainsley going to feed the gulls.

Here they all come!

Wesley's not a fan of the Flock of Seagulls

They just keep coming back for more.

It's all gone!

The Johnson's

The McClure's

Side note: This weekend Quinn really asserted her independence and would hang out with anyone besides her parents. She really fell in love with Debbie, referring to her as "the pink one" (after her swimsuit) and was attached to her all weekend. I thought this photo totally captured her avoidance of her parents. Ha!

Wesley and Daddy

Happy 35th Birthday, Mike!

2010-06-17T20:05:00.001-07:00

Today is Mike's 35th birthday! We had a great party last Saturday with a lot of friends so we celebrated with our family today. It was a very busy day as we prepared to go to the beach for the weekend. Also, Quinn went to the doctor unexpectedly with a very high fever due to what turned out to be an ear infection. About an hour after the appointment and some medicine, Quinn was back to her normal self (almost) and able to enjoy a dinner at Waterloo Ice House and then cake back home. Happy birthday, Mike. We love you!

Mike requested what I call my "Elvis" - banana cake with a peanut butter buttercream icing.

Quinn helped to blow out the candles while Wesley gets impatient waiting for a taste.

Opening the card from his girls.

Enjoying his gift from Mom-oh.

Opening the gift from our family...

Mmmmm. Coffee!

After Mike unwrapped the gift, Wesley, on her accord,

reached over and put the bow on her head.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Wesley enjoying her cake.

Quinn Learns To Use Scissors!

2010-06-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Over the past week Quinn has been practicing using scissors to cut paper. She then moved onto dental floss, which she liked cutting into little pieces. I felt this was a great exercise to develop her fine motor skills. We even discussed how no one cuts her hair but Karen (our stylist). When I came into the room today I discovered that she had taken the scissors to her own hair and cut a substantial amount. I was very calm until she decided that she could continue even with me standing there. That's when I shouted, "No!" She then seemed totally confused and asked why she couldn't keep going. The damage isn't too obvious. She took most of it from around her ears and it can be blended into the longer pieces pretty easily. Hopefully she's learned her lesson.

The scissors and the locks.

Michael's Moustache Bash

2010-06-13T13:37:00.001-07:00

Mike turns 35 next Thursday so we celebrated by having a Moustache Bash at the Gibson on Saturday night. Everyone got into the spirit and donned some facial hair - ladies and gents alike. It was a great time with great friends.

Mike as Hulk Hogan

The Devil and Mr. Hogan

Mark and Alex Linden

Alex felt her first moustache impeded her ability to eat and drink so she drew a new one.

Victoria Acosta who Mike referred to as "Smooth Criminal" all evening.

Jerry Kamppi - who arrived in his time machine straight from the 70's.

Kyle Pfister, Rosina Ayala and Hulk Hogan
Michael Nestor and Doug Zullo. Michael wins the award for the most authentic facial hair.

Michael and Jerry

Patrick and Sasha Johnson

Chris Peters with his Looseleaf Moustache

Rory and Angie Behnke as Magnum PI and Frida Kahlo

Paige Webb

Patrick and Laura Candelaria as The Godfather and Snidely Whiplash

Marlon Davis as "The Most Interesting Man in the World"

John and Lee Ann Scarnato

Triple Threat

Robbie Castille and Wanda Reguero Robbie wins for the most innovative moustache. He fashioned his from some clippings of a stuffed animal and Gorilla Glue.

Hanna Morgan and friends. Hanna drank whiskey on the rocks since she felt a "girly" drink was highly inappropriate while wearing a moustache.

A motley crew including Linnea Falk and Lisa Perry.

The gang gets a lecture from Lindsay Dalrymple.

The Summer Garden

2010-06-13T12:40:00.001-07:00

With all the rain and the warm temperatures our garden is going crazy! Time got away from us this year so we did not plant a vegetable garden, but our flowers and other plants are thriving!

Remember Quinn's sunflower project? This is her first sunflower!

This is just to give you an idea of how tall the plants are. The one on the right has not bloomed yet but should any day now. The one of the left is the one in the previous photo with the flower. The flower has since wilted due to all the rain we got last week.

Bouganvilla and Mandeville

Our hydrangea. The bloom was much larger before Quinn tried to pick it.

A relatively newcomer to our garden - we finally found a spot which will allow a fern to thrive!

Our ivy is out of control!

Berry Picking at Sweet Berry Farm

2010-05-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

This morning, despite the threat of rain, we made a trip out to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls to pick some blackberries. Once we got there it was overcast and breezy which was actually perfectly comfortable while we worked. We ended up leaving with two pounds of new potatoes and about eight pounds of blackberries. Mike is asking for a cobbler and I'm hoping to make some blackberry preserves so we can remember such a fun day for months to come. I'll be sure to post the results on my food blog.

Quinn wearing her "cow boots" as she picks her first blackberry.

Wesley standing in the middle of the row watching us work.

Heather and Quinn getting down to business.

The girls.

More of the girls.

Wesley hunts for berries.

They give you these sticks to move the very thorny bushes back while you harvest. This is supposed to result in fewer scratches, but this is not very evident by my arms.

Look at this one, Daddy!

Daddy and his girls.

Quinn got stuck in a berry bush.

The thorns are quite treacherous and grabbed onto her hair.
She quickly called for help.

Potatoes!

The strawberries were pretty picked over, but we found a few

that were perfect and tasted great!

The sweetest, cutest baby donkey.

The sweetest, cutest baby donkey plays with the sweetest, cutest baby girl.

Quinn's First Spa Day

2010-05-10T16:06:00.001-07:00

Mike treated my mom, Quinn and me to pedicures and manicures for Mother's Day. Take a peek at Quinn's first spa day.

She picked purple and green nail polishes.

Quinn with all the polishes.

Before....

Getting ready. Quinn was observing everything while we waited our turn. She told us she didn't want a man to do her nails and she didn't want to put her feet in the water.

Rolling up her jeans.

She finally allowed us to put her feet in the water after a few minutes of convincing her that it felt nice and she needed to clean her toes.

Trimming the toenails. She held very still at the salon - something she does NOT do at home.

Relaxing...

Getting polished.

Again, she was perfectly behaved while her fingernails were trimmed.

And painted.

Very relaxed.

Green!

Quinn in her pedi shoes.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T10:41:00.001-07:00

Almost the whole gang got together for Mother's Day brunch at Jack Allen's Kitchen. The food and the company were both great!

Wesley and her "Mimi."

Quinn pretending to be shy with her melon.

Mommy and Wesley

The moms at the table.

Almost the whole gang.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-04-13T17:17:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with a "staycation". Mom-oh was so kind as to watch the girls while we spent two nights at the Four Seasons. We enjoyed spa treatments, fine dining and an Elton John concert. No matter how great the adult time was we did really miss the girls and were glad to come home to them. As I'm always telling Quinn, "home is the best place."

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T18:23:00.001-07:00

The girls went to bed last night very eager to wake up to see what the Easter Bunny had left them. They got two gorgeous baskets filled with practical yet cute items like socks, flip flops, snack caddies, and one chocolate bunny each. They also got to hunt for eggs in our living room since it was quite muggy and drizzling outside. Then, we went with our friends, the Candelaria's to Jack Allen's Kitchen for a delicious brunch and another egg hunt. Needless to say, the girls had their fill of candy today!

Easter baskets!

Quinn toting her basket

Wesley enjoying some jelly beans.

Wesley ready to go to brunch

The girls in the car at brunch

Emily and Quinn after brunch

Bacon Babies

2010-04-03T19:27:00.001-07:00

The weather was absolutely perfect this past week! We spent a lot of time on the front porch enjoying the yard. I snapped a few photos of the girls enjoying a healthy snack - some bacon. It's one of Quinn's favorite foods these days and one of the few meats she will eat.

"Two Bacons"

Learning to appreciate smoked pork products at a young age.

Wesley's First Haircut

2010-04-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

So Wesley's first haircut is more like a bang trim, but it was her first cut none the less. She enjoyed sitting in the chair like she'd just seen her big sister do. She got her bangs cleared out of her eyes and the sides and back cleaned up just a little bit. Her hair is looking like it's going to be a bit curly. How cute!

Before.

After.

Ladybug Picnic

2010-03-20T18:01:00.001-07:00

Quinn turns three on Monday so we celebrated this weekend by having a Ladybug Picnic. All week the weather was beautiful but today the weather turned cold and windy. So, we moved the picnic inside...

After seeing a tiered birthday cake in a children's book, Quinn requested a three tiered cake with three candles for her birthday so Mom-oh made her one!

Ladybugs!

Cookies for our guests to take home with them.

Mom-oh, the face painter and cake maker!

Wesley needs a nap and from the looks of it, Michelle might too.

Sleepy sister.

Quinn blows out her candles!

She absolutely was enthralled whilst everyone sang Happy Birthday. Once they sang her name, though, she seemed to be a little embarrassed.

After the party with paint on her face and paint in her hair.

Other side of her face

Baxter loves Quinn's new tutu.

Look at my new ladybug watch!

Quinn uses her new doctor's kit to give Wesley a check-up.

Quinn's Sunflower Project

2010-02-28T16:59:00.001-08:00

I decided that it would be a fun project for Quinn to grow some sunflowers as her portion of our garden this year. I started by getting a book called "The Sunflower House" from the library on our last trip. After I read it to her I asked if she would like to grow some sunflowers. We got the seeds and then it snowed... not a good day for planting. Quinn asked every day if we could plant the seeds. I promised her as soon as the snow was gone and it was warmer we would plant them. Today was the day! Let's watch the flowers grow over the next few months!

Quinn and her seed packet

Preparing the soil

Dropping the seeds in the soil

Removing a remnant of last year's bean vines from the lattice

Tiny toes. She kept having to remove her "flip flops" to get dirt out of her shoes.

Seeds in hand

Examining a seed

Daddy accidentally sprays her with the hose as they are preparing to

water the newly planted seeds.

Getting over her recent dousing

Watering the seeds.

Snow Day!

2010-02-25T17:23:00.001-08:00

This past Tuesday it snowed! And I mean really snowed. All day long. Large flakes, too! The snow even stuck around overnight. And in the shady spots of the backyard the snow lasted for two days. You can tell by my enthusiasm that this does not happen frequently in Austin, Texas. We snapped a few shots of the house, the yard, and Quinn out with our neighbor building a snow man. What a cool day! (pun intended.)

Happy First Birthday, Wesley!

2010-02-14T19:39:00.001-08:00

Our baby girl, Wesley turned one on February 12th. Since I call her my "bunny" I decided to have a bunny themed party for her complete with a bunny petting zoo. We had quite a good turn out and Wesley seemed to really enjoy herself. It was great to get to spend some time with our friends and family.

Getting ready for our guests to arrive

My bunny

The McClure Clan

Ready for the party to start!

Wesley's "smash" cake which she didn't even touch after Quinn blew her candle out for her

The cakes...

The sweet bunny on top of the cake

The petting zoo

Quinn and Emily holding the bunnies.

Heather and Cocoa, one of the sweetest bunnies ever! Her sister, Marshmallow was the favorite of most of the kids. They all wanted to hold her. Cocoa and Marshmallow were only five weeks old.

Wesley takes a mid-party nap on Mom-oh's shoulder

Happy Birthday, dear Wesley!

Just after the candle was blown out

Mom-oh cuts the cake

Wesley eating her very tasty birthday cake

Quinn was quite helpful in opening all of Wesley's gifts for her.

Wesley playing with balloons leftover from the party

Happy Bunny!

Wesley LOVES her new Elmo (and her Daddy).

Poor Boone!

2010-01-26T17:56:00.001-08:00

The past two mornings we noticed a large amount of blood splattered all over our entryway and around the corners of our walls. Turns out it was coming from Boone's tail which he wags profusely. We took him to the vet for them to have a look at the cut on his tail and some potential eye allergies. When the vet told us she was going to "flush" Boone's eyeballs, Quinn became very concerned. She told me that the vet shouldn't flush Boonie's eyeballs down the toilet because he needs them to see. I reassured her they were just washing Boone's eyes and not discarding them. I had to fight to hold back my laughter.

Boone with his wrapped tail and headgear to prevent his removal of the bandage.

Mmmmm Chocolate!

2010-01-26T17:52:00.001-08:00

Quinn has recently discovered that she loves "clock-late". See her enjoying some chocolate cake batter below. She would have eaten the whole batch if I had let her.

Bouncy Fun

2010-01-18T17:44:00.001-08:00

We went to a friend's birthday party at Jumpy Gym. The girls had a blast!

Going down the very large, bouncy slide.

Mommy, Quinn and Wesley in the baby bouncy house

Daddy and the girls

Wesley playing

Quinn playing

Introducing... Baxter!

2009-12-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

The newest member of the McClure family. Baxter is an 11 month old Russian Blue mix that we adopted from Town Lake Animal Shelter. We went to the shelter to "look at titty tats" as Quinn says and left with Baxter only 45 minutes later. He is so sweet and social and even allows Quinn to carry him around, purring all the way. He is very curious about Wesley and approaches her and lets her pet him. After only two hours in the house he joined Mike and Quinn on the sofa, where he curled up in Mike's lap. Although he has not officially met Pollock and Boone he did catch a glimpse of them downstairs and seemed unfazed. We're pretty optimistic that there shouldn't be too many fights between them in our future.

Some of you might know that Mike is allergic to cats. Russian Blues typically shed less and are good for people with cat allergies. But, Baxter's such a sweetie that Mike has said he'll visit an allergist if his act up because Baxter is here to stay!

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2009-12-31T18:59:00.000-08:00

After Christmas we packed up the car and took the girls on their first real road trip. We headed 10 hours west to New Mexico with our friends, the Norris family. Michelle's grandparents have an amazing house in the mountains near Cloudcroft. We played in the snow, the sand, and enjoyed the fresh mountain air. The hospitality and company could not be beat - we had a great trip!

The Tinguely Residence - once home to 14 kids!

Getting suited up for the snow after breakfast

The girls on the front porch swing

The sledding team

* More photos to come once we get some from the Norris's camera.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T18:24:00.001-08:00

Quinn shows off her gingerbread house which she made at the Austin Children's Museum. Mommy and Quinn went with Linnea and Zailey Falk. It was a blast!

Quinn and Wesley prepare Santa's plate of cookies on Christmas Eve.

Enjoying a cookie near the hearth.

Santa's gifts and empty plate of cookies.

View of the living room after Santa's visit.

Wesley and Quinn with their gifts from Santa.

Quinn loves her new shopping cart!

Baby's first Christmas!

The girls and their stockings.

Wesley and her Uncle Sam at Uncle Mark's for Christmas lunch.

Julian

Mike taking it all in...

Quinn and her new cash register

Baby's first peppermint bark!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving sure came quickly this year! The day itself was lovely with perfect weather. It was made better by family and good food.

Mom-oh and the girls

Mark and Mike on the sofa before lunch

The spread

Julian, Frank, Oliver and Sam hanging out before lunch

Mom-oh and Wesley having a chat

"Baby's 1st Thanksgiving"

Quinn peeks over the table at Mommy

Dig in!

We found the girls squeezed behind our arm chair playing with the lamp's timer... kids find the strangest things amusing.

Wesley and her Uncle Julian on the sofa after lunch

The Great Outdoors

2009-11-15T13:21:00.001-08:00

The McClure family spent the weekend outdoors at Inks Lake State Park with some very dear friends. Everyone had a great time and the weather was absolutely perfect. The only hiccup was the fact that there were about five troops of boy scouts that used the adjacent camp site as their headquarters. Argh! All in all , though, I think everyone enjoyed themselves and I hope that we can get together again in the spring before the Texas summer heats things up too much.

Quinn gets settled in.

Wesley enjoys the outdoors in her pack n' play

Patrick and Laura Candelaria in love by the campfire while Mike watches

Dinner is served - hot dogs fresh from the campfire.

Emily, Hadley, Adysen and Quinn enjoy time around the campfire

Michelle and Heather (and Wesley) smile while Laura snubs the camera.

Adysen instructs the girls to march in the "bubble band" while she blows the whistle at them.

One of literally hundreds of bees that we encountered

Nate attacks and slaughters said bees

Lisa and Adam Perry enjoying lunch while trying to avoid a bee sting or smoke inhalation

Jerry on his "Amazing Race"

Hadley and Quinn during a peaceful moment

Hadley answers the call of nature

The gang's all here!

Happy Birthday, Pollock!

2009-11-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Pollock's 7th birthday! Hard to believe we've had him that long already. He's now a "senior".

Pollock looking up at the cupcakes. Ready for his treat!

Pollock and Boone waiting as patiently as Labradors can wait for a bite to eat.

Quinn removing the wrapper for Pollock.

Quinn and Wesley singing "Happy Birthday". Quinn insisted on candles so she could help Pollock blow them out.

Hook 'Em!

2009-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

Quinn attended her first Longhorn football game this past Saturday. She had to have a lesson before the game on her proper hand formation.

She tries it on her own.

Quinn gets a little help from her daddy.

There it is!

Ok, almost...

Off to the game!

Halloween Dress Rehearsal

2009-10-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the girls got festive to go to a friend's party...

Here's Quinn as a lady bug.

Here's Wesley decked out in orange and black.

On Thursday night we went and joined the Falk family at the Hill Country Galleria to practice trick-or-treating for Saturday. Everyone had a blast as we went door to door while the cold front blew in. Brrrr!

Wesley, who I've called "my bunny" since she was born

Quinn trying to re-dress Wesley who cannot stand her ears

Quinn decides at the last moment that she no longer wants to be a ladybug... Here is our impromptu fairy costume complete with tap shoes.

Mermaid Zailey and Bear Zander Falk as we begin our tour of the Hill Country Galleria in search of candy.

Quinn and Wesley get ready to go...

Up close and personal with Zander

The girls after visiting a few stores....

Zander after visiting a few stores...

Halloween's Coming!

2009-10-18T18:08:00.001-07:00

This weekend we decorated our front yard for Halloween. Quinn is super excited about getting to go trick or treating for her first time. We've been reading Halloween library books to get her in the mood. She also calls all the witches she sees "queens" after the Queen in Snow White.

Mike stringing the lights

Wesley explores the Halloween Decor Box

Quinn "helps" string the lights

Wesley ponders sitting in the pumpkins

Our scary pumpkin patch

After dark....

Luke and Hanna Say "I Do!"

2009-10-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Friday was a huge day of continued preparations around the ranch, the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. Saturday was continued preparations for the Big Event. Here are a few of the many snapshots of the weekend's festivities.

Luke and Oliver horsing around at the rehearsal.

Our fabulous hosts, Hanna's parents - George and Mary Elizabeth Cofer

Mark and Ezra

Quinn helping Mom-oh fill the tiki torches

Happy Mike, Not-so-happy Wesley

Julian and Wesley

Mike helping the groomsmen get ready for the ceremony

The groom and his baby niece

Kay, Wesley and Oliver before the wedding

Quinn and Ezra coming down the aisle

The entrance to Annandale Ranch. In the background is the Model-T getaway car that Luke and Hanna used to join the reception.

The groomsmen headed to the ceremony in The Big Woods

Quinn....

Mike and Wesley

Momma and her boys

Quinn, Hanna, and Josie

Heather and Wesley

Momma putting finishing touches on the cake

Luke and Hanna cutting the cake

Happy Birthday, Heather!

2009-10-11T17:39:00.001-07:00

Mike surprised Heather on the Saturday before her birthday with a fabulous surprise party at Max's Wine Dive. The food was great and the company was better!

A few of the fabulous friends

The group sings...

On Heather's actual birthday the following Tuesday, Mike presented us with a great raspberry cheesecake. Quinn sweetly sang "Happy Birthday" bringing tears to her mommy's eyes while Wesley watched. After the girls were soundly asleep Mike made a delicious dinner which we enjoyed in our dining room - a rare treat.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we headed out to Sweetberry Farms in Marble Falls for their yearly pumpkin patch. The Henry Family met us as well so Kate and Quinn could play.

Wesley examining a leaf she found near the pumkins.

Wesley about to eat said leaf.

Quinn "driving" a tractor trailer full of pumpkins.

Kate and Quinn in the wagon headed to the hayride.

Heather, Quinn and Wesley on the hayride.

Mike, Quinn and Wesley on the hayride.

The McClure Clan and a scarecrow in a huge oak tree.

Quinn in the field of zinnias.

Quinn, Kate and her unborn sister hiding behind Ernie's face.

Wesley enjoying the morning at the farm.

Quinn is Two and a Half!

2009-09-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Poor Quinn was sick the entire week of her 1/2 birthday but that didn't stop us from celebrating!

Candles ablaze and the family sings to Quinn.

About to enjoy her cupcake with extra icing, her favorite part!

Quinn's Fashion Attempts

2009-08-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

When I went to get Quinn after her afternoon nap this is how I found her. Wearing every single headband she could find. There are so many that it's keeping her eye partially closed. When I asked if I could take her photo she got very excited about it.

Front view

Rear view

Sharing the headbands and her fashion sense with Wesley

Introducing...

2009-08-23T16:24:00.001-07:00

Wesley's first two teeth!

Splish Splash We Were Taking a Bath

2009-08-19T17:04:00.001-07:00

Now that Wesley can sit up the girls can bathe together. I forsee many pruned hands and feet as well as large puddles on the floor in my future with these girls.

Quinn hamming it up.

Quinn giving Wesley a shower.
If she pours it over her own head she says she "gave herself a shower."

Mmmmm.

Pollock drinking the bath water.

Arial view of Pollock drinking the bath water.

One clean bunny.

Happy Half Birthday Wesley!

2009-08-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Wesley is six months old today! It's hard to believe she's a half of a year old already! Today she went for her six month check up. She got a total of three shots. It was quite heart wrenching to see her crying. Quinn cried just watching her. She weighs 19 pounds and is 25.5 inches long. She has one tooth and one on the way. Needless to say, she's been a little cranky today, which for her means smiling only half of the time instead of constantly.

Sitting by herself on the sofa like a big girl.

Drinking a sippy cup of water for the first time.

Getting ready for Mommy, Daddy and Quinn to sing "Happy Half Birthday" to me.

Mommy made everyone but me some tres leches cake for my half birthday.

Quinn helped me blow out the half candle.

I'll have to wait six more months for some cake.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

2009-08-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

The family spent their first summer vacation in Dallas. We spent several days at two different zoos, afternoons by the pool, and evenings relaxing. Although we all had a great time we were all ready to come home. After all, home is the best place.

Quinn and the two babies she loves to hold simultaneously. Both Wesley and Leighton are getting big. Pretty soon Quinn might not be able to hold them both, but I'm sure she'll still try. We had a great time visiting the Goodsell Family and really hope to keep the girls close over the years ahead.

Quinn thoroughly enjoyed her dinner.

Quinn and Wesley headed to the pool.

Heather and Quinn watch the penguins at the Dallas Zoo.

Quinn didn't want to leave them to see other animals.

Mike and Wesley on the monorail around the Dallas Zoo.

Quinn's first pony ride.

Wesley's first gorilla ride.

Feeding the birds at the Fort Worth Zoo.

Wesley wanted to touch all of them.

Quinn watching the white tiger.

Wesley in her floatie.

She absolutely loves the water and can sit like this for a looong time.

Mike and the girls in the pool.

Going Bananas

2009-07-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

It's truly amazing how quickly the kids grow. Wesley is now enjoying more "solid" foods and sitting in her big sister's highchair. Any day now she's going to have one pearly white to show off in her constant big smiles she has for everyone around her. And, she's even sitting alone for a bit and trying to scoot on her belly to the toys she wants. Quinn's vocabulary expands everyday and it's hilarious to hear phrases that I suppose we say all too often around here. One of the cutest is "just a moment, please".

Here's Quinn and her kitty which she loves to feed and diaper as if it were her own little baby.

Wesley enjoying the excersaucer.

Getting ready for dinner.

Enjoying rice cereal and bananas.

Wesley tries to grab anyting and everything within her grasp. She's pretty quick so it's a challenge to get a spoonful of food in her mouth before she grabs it and makes a big mess.

Lions and Tiger and Bears!

2009-07-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Houston for a quick getaway. We packed up on Friday morning and spent Friday afternoon poolside. Saturday morning we went to the Houston Zoo, napped as a family that afternoon after a short dip in the pool and ate at one of our favorite restaurants - despite a power outage in the middle of our meal. We all had a great time!

Heather and Quinn enjoy a refreshing smoothie by the pool.

Mike, Wesley and margarita (not pictured) by the pool.

The girls just prior to taking the plunge.

The whole family fresh from the shower in their plush robes.

Quinn poses with the flower that accompanied her "Astro dog" dinner.

The McClures after just watching the sea lions.

Heather and Quinn with one of Heather's favorite animals.

Wesley enjoying the zoo.

Quinn enjoying the petting zoo.

Wesley wakes up!

Quinn absolutley LOVED her first carousel ride.

Her first ride was quickly followed by her second ride.

Quinn drinking from the lion waterfountain.

This is a tribute to a photo of Heather taken about 30 years earlier

at the same zoo with a very similar water fountain.

The gang riding the Hermann Park Express.

Daddy and his girls...

Quinn enjoying her slightly-oversized-but-still-cute robe for the last time.

A Day of Firsts

2009-07-06T18:10:00.003-07:00

Today was a monumental day in the McClure home. Quinn took her first official swimming lesson and Wesley ate her first "solid" food.

Here's Quinn dressed in her swimsuit and cover-up digging in her new swim bag. In her swim bag she keeps her towel, sunglasses and SPF 50 sunscreen. She loved her first swimming lesson although as she says she "spit up" from drinking so much pool water. She was pretty advanced at the swimming portion but really needs to focus on keeping her mouth closed.

Here's Wesley moments before she enjoyed her first serving of rice cereal, although it was quite thin in consistency. Everytime she ate a spoonful and I said "Mmmmm" as I instinctually did she would crack up laughing. We're going to stick with the cereal once a day for a week or so before we start introducing new grains then fruits and veggies. It's amazing how fast they grow!

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-05T16:40:00.001-07:00

We hosted a barbecue to celebrate the 4th with some great friends. Although it was 100 degrees everyone had a great time! Mike woke at 5am to begin the long process of smoking a brisket, some sausage and two chickens. This was his first time to use the smoker he received for his birthday and the results were finger licking good!

Quinn "helps" make the cupcakes.

Wesley watches us prepare.

Heather and Wesley are ready for the party to start!

Linnea, Zailey and Zander Falk

Rory and Angie Behnke

Quinn took a late nap in order to make sure she could stay up for fireworks.

When she woke she was camera shy for a few minutes.

Quinn, Kate and Miles enjoyed driving the Jeep around the backyard while the grown ups played traffic patrol to prevent any collisions with trees.

Quinn enjoyed her first sparkler.

Quinn enjoys her second, third and each subsequent sparkler. She also loved all of the fireworks that followed. She would ask for "more, more way up there".

Kate liked the sparklers but didn't much care for the loud fireworks that followed.

The night was a blast although we are sorry that we missed getting any photographic representation of a few other families including the McClures, the Zunigas, and the Perry's.

Quinn's New Look

2009-06-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Now that Quinn no longer allows us to put clips or pigtails in her hair we had to take some drastic measures... Introducing Quinn's new look with bangs! Now we can keep her hair out of her eyes and her yogurt.

Before...

And after...

A Weekend Away

2009-06-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

We ventured up to the Four Season Las Colinas this weekend for a quick getaway in honor of Father's Day. On Saturday we met up with our good friends Jeff and Amy Goodsell. We met their new daughter, Leighton for the first time.

This was the cutest chair full of girls I'd ever seen!

Mike opens his Father's Day gifts.. one of which was a mousepad featuring himself and his two precious daughters.

This is Quinn just moments before she turned into a water baby. Swimming is now her favorite activity.

Wesley with her bonnet and swimsuit.

The family after a fabulous weekend.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

The McClure clan is headed out of town for Father's Day weekend in search of some rest and relaxation. Here's to you and your fathers on this hot, summer weekend!

Happy Birthday, Mike!

2009-06-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Mike's 34th birthday was today. We celebrated with friends on Saturday evening by enjoying dinner at Tokyo Teppan followed by karaoke. Tonight we celebrated as a family with a cake that included all 34 candles. Quinn was quite excited to help in blowing out the blaze.

Before the fire...

Quinn singing to her Daddy. We'd been practicing for a week.

That was hard work!

Our Little Pumpkin

2009-06-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our garden continues to thrive including our pumpkins. Quinn harvested one a bit too early but was so cute it was impossible to be mad.

As Wesley Grows

2009-06-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Wesley is displaying the signs that she might be getting a tooth soon! She LOVES a frozen teether, drools a ton, chews on anything that happens to be near her mouth and there seems to be a small white spot on her gums. She remains happy most of the time but has had a few loud and fussy bouts - poor baby!

Thud!

2009-06-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Quinn's second day without a pacifier was not as easy as her first night. When she was put down for a nap she had a complete meltdown during which she climbed out of her crib and leaped into my arms. That night we converted her bed from a crib into a toddler bed. That night she went down somewhat easily. The third day Quinn had a hard time grasping that she should stay in her bed. After a three hour struggle I was at my wit's end and Quinn went without a nap for the day. That night, Mike put her down after about an hour. An hour later while we were eating dinner we heard a loud thud from above.... Mike went up and found her still passed out asleep after falling out of her bed. What a sound sleeper we have in our big girl. It's been a hard week for Quinn with all of the potty training, pacifier removal and crib-to-toddler-bed-conversion. Here's hoping that it get's easier!

No More Pacifiers!

2009-06-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

Quinn is now a big girl and no longer uses her pacifier. For the past week she had only been using one at night. Monday night Quinn planted all of her "pacis" in a pot to see what type of flowers they would grow. She only asked for her pacifier once or twice as she went down for the night. We didn't hear one peep from her all night. We were quite shocked and had expected the worst. When she woke up on Tuesday morning the first thing she said was "paci flowers". Quinn and Mommy rushed downstairs to see what had grown.

Quinn gathering up all of the pacifiers and placing them in the pot for planting.

One last visit with her old friend, the purple pacifier.

Covering the pacifiers with potting soil.

Quinn and Daddy placing the pacifiers in the sun so they can grow.

Quinn enjoying her beautiful "paci flowers".

Parents' Night Out

2009-05-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we went to dinner at Perry's Steakhouse. The food and the service were great! I would recommend Perry's for any special occasion. We happened to be celebrating a late Mother's Day Dinner compliments of Mike's parents who watched the girls for us as well. What a treat!

Miles and Quinn Together Again

2009-05-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Miles and Quinn got together this weekend to have fun in the sun while playing the sprinkler. This is the first time they have gotten to play together since Quinn left SLICC (her daycare). They are already planning their next playdate since they had so much fun!

Our New-to-Us Car

2009-05-23T13:48:00.001-07:00

We have a new-to-us car! After much shopping and reviewing of Consumer Reports we pulled the trigger! We purchased a 2006 Mercedes R Class. We had considered and test driven the Acura MDX, Honda Pilot and GMC Acadia. They each had their strong points but we knew this was our car before we even got to test drive her. She's Heather's favorite color and is fully loaded. Wesley loves the air flow and doesn't scream constantly like she did in our Commander. The center row has captains chairs (for easy access to the third row), the sun roof is the entire lenght of the car and it rides like a dream. Now we just need to think of a proper name for her!

Summer Harvest is Coming

2009-05-14T18:19:00.001-07:00

Our garden is loving this summer-like weather and going crazy.

Figs abound! Looks like I might be making some preserves.

Here are the lettuces, arugula, chard and beets.

Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Pumpkin, Squash, Cucumber and Green Beans are soon to come!

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

"To understand a mother's love, bear your own children."

-Chinese Proverb

Four Generations

2009-05-06T15:49:00.001-07:00

The McClure girls and Mom-oh headed to the DC area this past weekend to visit Great Mom-oh. This was Wesley's first plane ride and she was a trooper - sleeping and babbling the entire flight. Quinn stayed busy by playing with and snacking on play-dough.

This picture shows four generations of girls in our family including Heather's cousin, Jennifer.

Here's Great Mom-oh with the babies. She was very excited to see them and enjoyed trying to play with Quinn. She even held Wesley for a minute or so!

Quinn, Great Mom-oh and her "grab-all".

Here's how Quinn entertained herself when she was bored in the nursing home - she took her clothes off. This was after playing with all the stuffed animals and knick knacks in the room and chatting with all of Great Mom-oh's neighbors. Quinn even got to go on a wheelchair ride.

This is How Our Garden Grows

2009-04-29T17:15:00.001-07:00

This is the first year that we have planted a vegetable garden. It's pretty amazing to watch everything grow especially those plants that we started from seeds.

In this box we have sprouts of assorted lettuces, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard and two variety of beets. I learned this weekend that we started the lettuce way too late so we can expect it to be too bitter to eat. I guess we'll consider this our learning crop.

Here's our baby crookneck squash!

This box contains two types of squash, cantaloupe, green beans, cucumbers, four varieties of heirloom tomatoes and a pumpkin for Quinn. Pumpkins are one of Quinn's favorite things in the whole wide worlds. She calls them "mem-mees" and we know where the last "mem-mee" in Austin is. We drive by it whenever we are in the neighborhood. It brings her so much delight. I cannot wait to take her to a pumpkin patch this fall!

Annandale Ranch

2009-04-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

The McClure girls packed up the Jeep, picked up Mom-oh and headed out past Sabinal, Texas to the Annandale Ranch where Luke and Hanna will be married in October. We had a great time getting to know Hanna's family a bit better and enjoying the historic ranch which has been in Hanna's family for over 100 years!

This is the log cabing where we spent the evening with the windows wide open to let the cool breezes in... along with the sounds of many animals passing in the night.

Quinn enjoyed the time she spent on the magnificent porch of the Big Ranch House. It was the perfect place to spend the evenings drinking wine and the mornings drinking coffee.

Wesley Speaks

2009-04-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Wesley has started becoming her own little person. She loves to smile and chat with anyone that will talk to her. Here's a sample of her sweet baby babbles.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

2009-04-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Quinn loves to sing! Right now her favorite songs include Old McDonald with her selection of animals, Happy Birthday (she'll tell you which name to use), and the one she's singing here...

Saturday Night in the Backyard

2009-04-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend we hosted two of our favorite families (The Norris's and Candelaria's) for a "make your own" grilled pizza dinner. The food was great and the company was even better. After a couple days of dreary, rainy weather the storm blew over just in time to provide us a picture perfect evening in the backyard.