Christmas 2009

This is about the view we all had Xmas Eve while we were attempting to put together the dollhouse I randomly bought months ago for Gwennie. Not knowing there was something like 4000 pieces, we decided to crack open the box around 9 PM thinking we would be done within an hour.....or so.....

Well, the dollhouse is done and is a HUGE hit (as was the Dora Scooter which was literally a last minute toy). Hudson loves his incredi-block and sock monkey which I am pretty sure is going to be attached to him in later years. As you can see from the pictures Nana Sus, GeeGee and Pop pop were here for the fun and were a big help with all of the cleaning/assembling of toys and food. The day after Christmas Corbin, Gwennie and I said our good bye's to Nana and headed to Monkey Joe's to burn off some of the food we had been eating all weekend. Gwennie wasn't to into going on the slides but loves the bounce house and you will notice her father does as well!

Pop pop and I celebrated our birthdays and you can see from the video below that Gwennie liked to serenade us every night before birthday cake (which we ate just about every day for almost four days now! Safe to say we are birthday caked out!


Here are the pictures from the fun and 2 videos of Gwennie. Every time she jumped on the Dora Scooter "Skip to My Lou" was heard throughout the house and lately she's adding this nutty ballet routine as well that I caught a quick show of with my dad's camera phone.

Quite Possibly the Best Webb Family Xmas EVER!!!!

Once again the Webb family met up for the annual holiday sleepover. I think everyone can agree this might have been the best party yet. From the Spice for lunch (wonderful burger joint in Sparkle City) to decorating of the gingerbread dolls/houses and the finale of the "Tiger Woods Starter Kit" Chinese Auction, everyone had a blast! The kids literally passed out both nights from exhaustion and I loved hearing "where's Gwennie" from Molly or "Hi Molly" from Blyth. Gwennie was also Miss Chatty and woke up every morning with the same question...."Mommy/Daddy....where's Molly, Blyth, Faryn, Kamryn & Alex?" She could not wait to see her cousins and Hudson was pretty much occupied by every family member. I think he's going to expect to be held from here on out!

Here are lots of pictures from the weekend.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!!!!

What a great vacation! Saturday Corbin, Gwennie and I headed out to California to visit with our friends Michael, Michelle and Madeline. As you can see from the pictures we spent LOTS of time outside and at Disneyland. Gwennie and Madeline had a blast and quickly became BFFs! Michael and Michelle were amazing hosts and we loved waking up to warm, sunny weather. Corbin and I both agreed this is one of the best vacations we have ever taken and we can't wait to come back and visit again!

Baby it's Cold Outside....

As you can see here...it was a chilly 29 degrees on Sunday. Unfortunately it was a brisk 24 degrees in the house because our gas pump on the heater wasn't working so we all were in sweatshirts and under blankets until Daddy could fix the heater. Hopefully today it will be resolved and it is finally warmer in the house as we are running on electric now which is not as efficient but at this point we all just wanted the house to be warmer.

Other than the cold temperatures, we attempted some Xmas pics in cheesy matching outfits (I know the kids will be mad that I made them dress alike when they were younger). Until they can pick out their own clothes, they are stuck with matching smocked clothing for now. I figured you all would like to see some of the "outtakes" from our Xmas picture fiasco...

Thanksgiving, Xmas Trees, Football and Birthdays!

It was a busy busy holiday at the Meek household. For Thanksgiving we celebrated with Granny Gary and Uncle Robert, Nina, Caroline and Megan at their house and the kids all had a wonderful time visiting with everyone. Gwennie spent most of the day running after Chloe their toy poodle (who I am pretty sure was happy to see her go)! Hudson loved being the center of attention and was passed around all day so he was also spoiled rotten.

Friday we picked out our tree which was pretty difficult given 2 of our top 3 trees were swiped the minute I turned around to look for Gwennie (who loves to play hide and seek between all of the trees). We finally nabbed a tree and headed home to decorate the house. As you can see from the pictures we decided the dogs also needed a treat and love to play the "peanut butter on the nose" trick with them so I snapped a few shots of them trying to get all of the peanut butter off of their noses.

Saturday Corbin had a class so I headed down to Columbia to visit with the Webb/Workman clan for the Clemson/USC football game. Gwennie loves to hang out with Blyth and Alex and I am always jumping at the chance to see Russ, Gini, E, Rachel and Parks. We all had a great time and ate ourselves silly with all the food...fried turkey, cookies, chip, dip and LOTS of snacks kept the kids very well fed and every time I turned around Gwennie had a piece of turkey, chip or cookie in her mouth.

Sunday Gwennie/Hudson and I had a park play date with Crawford and Janet since the weather was beautiful and then Corbin took over daddy daycare for the night so I could head to a birthday dinner for Miss Jen (who took care of Gwennie when she was a baby).

Overall a great weekend and we are all trying to recover from all the food/fun!

Not much going on this week. We all are battling a cold so most of the weekend was spent around the house or in the backyard. Gwennie got a haircut on Saturday and as you will see from the pictures...her bangs were cut a little short! The good news is that her hair grows so fast that in about a week she will look a little more normal.

Since it was so cold out on Sunday we spent LOTS of time trying to entertain the kids. As a last resort we tried High School Musical on NetFlix. Check out the video below of Gwennie jamming out to one of the songs.

Don't Cha Know?

Gwennie goes through a bunch of sayings every week that constantly make us laugh and wonder where she gets them from. The one we know comes from us is "Come on Dude....you can't drive!" which both mommy and daddy have said in the midst of traffic! Now whenever we are at a light Gwennie "talks" to the driver for us. When we were taking a video of Hudson having his first taste of oatmeal...about 1 step up for cardboard rice cereal, Gwennie had one of those moments and asked her brother "don't cha know?" Check the video and the pictures below from this weekend. We also tried to add some bananas to the oatmeal but his face pretty much shows exactly what he thought about banana oatmeal!

5 Months Old!

Hudson celebrated his 5 month birthday on Sunday and although he's been sick with an ear infection and cough, he's been a real trooper. I really thought he would be at his wit's end when we had to use the nebulizer on him but he loved it and thought it was a game! Luckily, Gwennie likes doing things her baby brother does so she was also a good sport when it was her turn to be "nebulized". As you can see from the pictures GeeGee is still here which has been wonderful. With her here Hudson has been able to stay home and get better (and receive LOTS of attention). I am pretty sure when he goes back to daycare he's going to be a handful since he's constantly held by GeeGee during the day. Overall we are going to miss "the Geege" as we like to sometimes call her. Corbin loves having someone to do all the laundry and tell him what a great cook he is! I love having my mom here and Gwennie/Hudson think she hung the moon!

As you can also see, GeeGee had the ATV sent from her house which in the videos you will notice that Gwennie finally learned how to steer. I posted one from last year when Gwennie first tried out the ATV at GeeGee and PopPop's last April. There's also a cute video of Gwennie teaching Hudson how to "fly like a butterfly". Check out the first picture in the set so you can see what I looked like as a kid....slight resemblance!

Halloween and Hudson's Baptism

This weekend was busy, busy, busy! Friday afternoon Gwennie and Hudson's school had a Halloween Parade around the neighborhood which all the kids had so much fun showing off their costumes and playing with all the other kids in the classes! Nana also came into town for Hudson's big day.

Saturday we headed over to the old neighborhood for a Halloween party with a bounce house that kept ALL of the kids busy for most of the afternoon. As you can see from the pictures Gwennie really enjoyed herself! Saturday night we picked up GeeGee and PopPop and they (along with Nana) stayed with Hudson while we attempted to trick or treat in the rain. After about 3 houses we decided it would be more fun to head back to the house so Stella, Oliver (who was Elvis with an O - Ovis!), Hudson and Gwennie played in the house while we tried to get them to stay up as late as we could for daylight savings time.

Sunday was Hudson's Baptism of which he was the apple of everyone's eye. He was all smiles during the entire ceremony and flashed a HUGE smile after he was baptized which made the entire congregation melt. His Godparents Andrew, Janet and Crawford were such a help and Hudson loves to make eyes and Crawford. Everyone headed over to the house after for brunch where Megan & Caroline entertained Gwennie and Crawford while the rest of us (Nina, Linny, Corbin, Janet, Andrew, GeeGee, PopPop, Nana and I) enjoyed a nice meal at the table. Gwennie and Crawford really enjoyed all the attention Nina, Megan and Caroline gave them all afternoon. Now we are all resting after a busy weekend!

Halloween Parade!

This weekend was the annual Halloween parade in the neighborhood. As always there were hundreds of kids, parents and a few pets ready to strut around the street. Usually the firetruck accompanies us but they got a call right before we were ready to march so we were led by an old Ford F100 instead. Regardless all of the kids were having a great time checking out everyone else in full costume. Gwennie decided she wanted to wear her mini mouse costume and Hudson was sporting his Moose (not mouse) ensemble. After we had a bunch of friends over for a barbecue and I wish I would have taken pictures because the kids were all running around having a blast! Today we are all pretty pooped as you can see from the final pictures of Hudson camped out in our bed.

Zoo With the Twins and on the Potty Training Home Stretch!

We had another great weekend of fun and fall weather. Saturday I gave Corbin the day off and headed up to the Asheboro Zoo to see Allie and her twins Nathan and James (Nathan has the blue vest and James has the tan vest on). The boys are adorable and great kids. I don't know how Allie does it. Talk about busy! The boys love to crawl around and get into everything! We lasted about 4 hours and then everyone was ready for a nap so we headed home in the early afternoon.

Sunday was a nice brisk fall day so we bundled the kids up and headed out to the backyard. Gwennie trudged around the yard looking for sticks and anything else she could find. Hudson loves to check things out in the Bjorn and as you can see from the pictures Daddy was sporting a "scruffy" look that day.

Today was a BIG day in potty training! During the day Gwennie is a rock star with doing her "business" in the potty but typically that all goes out the window so she's in a pull up. This morning Gwennie woke up, told us she wanted to go potty and behold...dry diaper, full potty and happy parents!!!!

4 Months old, Toy Story in 3D and Zoo with the Cousins

Big week here at the Meek household! Hudson is now a 4 month old baby and healthy as can be. He's growing like a weed and is starting to teethe which has made for lots of drool and chewing on anything he can find.

Gwennie and I headed to the movies for the first time to see Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D. For a first time move goer she did great! We made it through 3/4 of Toy Story 2 and then Gwennie was ready to head home for a long nap!

Sunday we decided we needed to get out so we all piled into the car and headed down to Columbia for a day at the zoo with Uncle Russ, Aunt Gini and Blyth (Alex was at Grandma's for the weekend).

Overall it was a fun weekend!!

Visit with Nina and Megan!

This weekend Nina and Megan came up to do a little shopping and stopped by for a visit. Gwennie literally could not stop moving and for 3 days now she keeps asking where they are! We also went solo without Corbin for 2 nights while he, Russ and Wheels headed to the Widespread Panic concert. As you can see from the pictures, Gwennie enjoyed her nightly ice cream and made a huge mess but thoroughly enjoyed herself! Hudson also is moving and a shaking! He's figured out how to turn over on to his stomach but once he gets there he doesn't know what to do! Here's a few pictures of the weekend and a video of Hudson showing off.

My Monster Truck Can Crush Your Dollhouse

Yes, that's right....Gwennie's wearing her Monster Truck T-Shirt straight from The Grave Digger's house where her friends Henry and Addie (and his parents Dave/Missy) got it for her. The shirt actually is pretty appropriate since Gwennie runs over just about anything she sees.

This weekend we just hung out at the house since the kids are getting over a cold and they also had pajama day at school so Gwennie and Hudson sported some of their nicer PJs for class. As would be typical, Hudson had a blow out on the way to school so his ducky outfit was switched out right away for play clothes. Gwennie surprisingly made it through the entire day with only a few spills on the shirt.

Last night before bed I snapped some pictures of Hudson playing in the tub and Gwennie/Daddy doing their nightly acrobatics.

Rally Day

Sorry for the late post. It's been busy over here to say the least. Gwennie sported her TarHeel gear in support of the game on Saturday and this weekend was Rally Day at our church so we snapped some pictures of all the kids playing around. I also took some video of Gwennie reacting to Corbin trying to catch a fly in the house and Hudson who is starting to giggle which we both find to be one of the best parts of our day.

Outer Banks 2009

Well, as you can see from the picture, we had a large crew come to the Outer Banks this year. Lots of friends, family, babies, toddlers, dogs and fun!! Between the beach and the hot tub/pool (and the amazing food) we all literally fell into bed every night exhausted from all the daily activities. All of the kids had so much fun together. Gwennie, Henry and Alexis motored around the house/beach/pool/hot tub while the babies - Clare, Addie and Hudson enjoyed the sun and warm weather.

Sunday we enjoyed the beach and the pool and Corbin/Dave took a shot at surfing for the first time in about a year. Baby Addie and Hudson chilled in the pack n play sport while the big kids ran around and Clark did some fishing.

Missy, Dave, Henry, Addie, GeeGee, PopPop, Gwennie, Hudson, Corbin and I all headed to the NC Aquarium (along with just about everyone else in NC!!!) for some indoor entertainment on Monday.

Tuesday Nancy, Jennifer and I did some retail therapy while my parents and Gwennie checked out the Currituck Lighthouse and Clark/Dave/Missy and Corbin were on kid patrol. Addie and Gladys arrived Tuesday night just in time for yummy Frogmore Stew Clark Style with steamers, shrimp, corn, sausage, potatoes and plenty of good food and great conversation!

Wednesday we were back at the beach in the morning where Alexis and Gwennie went sliding on the dunes and pretty much had sand everywhere! Gwennie has no fear in the ocean so we have to watch how far she goes. She loves to try to balance when the waves crash into her (which makes Corbin and I VERY nervous). Wednesday night Missy, Dave, Baby Addie and Henry checked out the Whalehead Club Wine Festival where Henry got his own kite! GeeGee, PopPop and Mimi (Gladys) stayed home with Gwennie, Clare and Hudson while the rest of us headed over to BluePoint for an amazing dinner!

Thursday was pretty rainy so we all laid low and played inside or ran out to the hot tub to check out the crazy surf.

Friday was another great beach and pool day and as you can see from most of the pictures, Tyler, Ginger and Ruby had as much fun as everyone else. Tyler would take leisurely swims in the pool while Ginger and Ruby would join him if a tennis ball was involved. On the beach the three of the dogs would run after the ball and each other until they were exhausted. Gwennie and Alexis also had fun playing in the sand/surf all morning. By the afternoon the dogs were pooped and so were the kids so they went down for a three hour nap! Friday night we got ready for the big packing session on Saturday morning when everyone said their good-byes and geared up for the drives home.

Overall it was one of the best vacations EVER and we can't wait until next year! Here are over 300 pictures from the week.

The Going to Bed Book

Gwennie decided to read me a story as a change of pace tonight.

Crawford Turns 5

This weekend we celebrated Crawford's 5th birthday bowling at Strike City! All of the girls had so much fun and were sporting their custom made "Crawford's 5th Birthday Bowlarama Ball!" shirts. The girls were so cute in their outfits and had a great time using different bowling strategies (that they all wanted to tell us about). Overall it was a great party and we all went home for a long 3 hour nap!

Also - here are some of Heather's pictures from the visit in Owings Mills

Yellow Ducks....Here I Come!

Today was Gwennie's first day in the "Yellow Ducks" at school and as you can see all of the kids seem to be having a wonderful time there. Luckily most if not all of the kids in the class were from her previous class (the Butterflies") so it was an easy transition. Her new teachers are wonderful and I know them very well. Speaking of which, if any of you have an in with the Panthers, please let me know as one of them is a HUGE HUGE of fan of Muhsin Muhammad and just celebrated 30...yes that's right 30 years of service at our daycare so we are trying to get him to come see her.

In other news, we spent most of the weekend in the backyard playing with the snake (thank you Auntie Hey Hey) and enjoying the nice weather. Corbin is really enjoying his paternity leave, Hudson is getting bigger every day and Gwennie needs a haircut so we are planning for that this week so she can actually see again!

A Visit to Owings Mills and Daddy Leave

It has been a LOOOONG week and as you can see from the lack of pictures, very busy. Thursday Gwennie, Hudson and I decided to give Daddy a break before he started his paternity leave so we headed up to Baltimore to visit Heather (Auntie Hey Hey as Gwennie calls her), Alan, Ari and baby Matthew. As you can see from the picture below, we were loaded up! The last time we were up there Matthew was all of 2 weeks old so it's crazy to see how much he has changed in 6 months. Gwennie and Ari were inseparable. They literally would wake up and want to see each other. Whoever was the first to wake up would walk into the other kids room and say "Good Morning Ari" or "Good Morning Gwennie" and then they were off and running until about 9 PM every night. Luckily Matthew and Hudson were good babies so we were able to keep up with the toddlers. Alan usually took afternoon duty and was amazing. He took them on walks to the park, played out front with them and was so patient with the crazy 2 year olds!

Yesterday Corbin started Daddy leave and had both kids in the house. Gwennie was worn out from her visit so she napped from about 1:30 to 4 and Hudson was equally exhausted so he chilled in the car seat and swing for most of the day. So far he's doing great and enjoying some much needed father/son bonding.