My dad's birthday and Hudson is a stinker

Happy Birthday Grandpa Norm!  

On this special day Hudson would like to share some Easter candy that he got out of the trash can, with you!  It may even have already been chewed on.  I told him you didn't have dentures but he insisted on getting it ready for you.

  Today is my dad's birthday.  He is the best dad a girl could ask for.  He helped me pack up my car and drive halfway across the country, 2 times.  The first time, he flew home and then turned around 2 weeks later and flew back to AZ to pick me up and drive me home--to IL!  Then 3 years later he did it again! Except this time I stayed! Woohoo.  He did that on top of a zillion other things.  So Happy Birthday Dad (Grandpa Norm--previously, Grandma Norm).  We love you and miss you!

Tia Rosa's after Brent's graduation

PS Carson wants to come visit your house again soon.  Maybe he can use the binoculars that you and Grandma are supposed to buy him for his birthday (from Sam's), to birdwatch with you.

And he wants to take another whirly bath.

Porter wants to visit too.  Who else would help you mow the lawn and fix your toys?

And Travis probably wants to come during the winter so he can be a pyro.

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Yesterday Hudson was the only one awake from his nap.  He was playing quietly downstairs, but making enough noises for me to know he was playing.  I was upstairs.  I realized a couple minutes later that it wasn't noisy anymore.  I went downstairs to find this.  Hudson sitting by the trash can eating the Easter candy that I had just thrown away.  He still had the wrappers on and was so excited to show me what he found.

 You can see the bag sticking out of the trash can.  He pulled it partially out and it looks like candy just fell right into his hands.  What a lucky little boy.  

Just a little bit of chocolate drool. With his lips closed tightly so that candy doesn't drop out!

I took it all away (even the chewed up one with the wrapper that was in his mouth--that I almost lost a finger getting out) and bit off half of hershey kiss and let him eat it.  That distracted him while I threw them all away.  Until he was done eating.  

He is so funny. I love him and his longer than I ever thought my kids hair would be, curly hair.

40th Anniversary

Saturday December 11, 2010 was my parents 40th Anniversary.  My 4 siblings and I surprised them with a visit.  I don't know how we all flew halfway across the country, made it on time, and managed to not tell them we were coming.  But we did and I think it was a pretty good surprise.  

We had a wonderful weekend with my parents.  We were only there to visit Friday night and Saturday.  And all day Saturday it was cold and very rainy.  So that sucked, but we just hung out and played Beatles RockBand anyway. 

I took Hudson.  And my brother, Josh and his family live in town, so those were the grandkids that were there.  It would have been so nice to see everyone else (brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and all of my nieces and nephews) but I don't think that would have been doable for a quick weekend.  Also, a little pricey! 

We didn't get enough pictures of everyone just hanging out.

My parents and their 5 kids

Just us.

My brother, Aaron had never met any of my kids or Travis.  They live in FL and we live in AZ and unfortunately we don't get to see them.  Someday my brother will meet my husband. 

Hudson liked all the new faces.

Hudson and his cousin, Cameron.

My Dad.  Or as Carson says it, "Grandma Norm"!

Hudson and my brother, Aaron again.

Taylor is my oldest nephew.  He was born when I was in 8th grade.  Now he is a freshman in high school. Wow!

Cousins.  Wyatt and Hudson.

My sister and mom made some delicious caramel corn from puffed corn instead of popcorn.  I thought it tasted like Cheetos covered in caramel.

My brother made us all some tasty breakfast casseroles for the morning before we had to leave for the airport.

I am pretty sure this face came from thinking it was my cup, but it was full of DIET coke.  SICK!

Wyatt made an awesome hat out of Duct Tape.  He did this whole hat in like 10 minutes. 

Hudson's first airplane ride!  He was a trooper.  Only maybe 10 minutes of crying out of the almost 11 hours on an airplane--in 3 days.  And that crying was together on the last leg with about an hour to go before we were home.  But thank goodness we flew with my brother, Ethan.  He was so helpful.  We were getting pretty disgusted with the looks that people were giving us--like Hudson was OURS.  So we made it a point to tell everyone we were brother and sister and that Hudson probably missed his daddy at home.

And this was the Interstate on our way to the airport.  We were stopped for about an hour because a couple of semi's were turned over. 

It was a wonderful weekend spent with family that I don't get to see very often.  It was so nice to see my parents and just be able to hang out with them for a little while.  Mom and Dad, I really hope you had a great anniversary!  We love you so much!