Happy Birthday Stella!

This weekend our good friend Stella turned 4 so we headed back to our favorite place, Monkey Joe's for more sliding and jumping in the bounce houses. This time Hudson was big enough to check out the toddler bounce house so he had a great time as well. Sunday we played outside and the kids enjoyed checking out all of the potential vegetables they will be eating from our victory garden. We also got a new "flip" camcorder and here's one of our first videos. I was trying to get Hudson to do the "fish face" which was unsuccessful but you can decide if he uttered his first word :-)

May Recital

As promised here are the hundreds of pictures and videos from the recital. To view the videos, click on the first picture below and it will take you to another window where they will start playing. Be sure to turn the volume up loud because the kids are pretty quiet. I now know why my mother could never hold the video camera still. You will notice I am trying to help Gwennie with the words so the videos are a bit shaky.

Weekend Fun and Tune In Tomorrow!

It was another great weekend at home with an impromptu barbecue at Casa Meek. Since the kids were covered in all sorts of things, we threw the boys and girls into baths and scrubbed off all the dirt. As you can see from the pictures, everyone had a blast!

Be sure to check back tomorrow because I will post videos and pictures from Gwennie's school recital!

Happy Mother's Day!

This weekend was a nice low key weekend so we spent it in the backyard (our peonies and hydrangea are finally blooming) and at a barbecue in the neighborhood. Mother's Day was also a great day as our youth led Youth Sunday Service. Overall it was a great sermon given by the seniors and Corbin and I are very proud of those kids. As you will see from the pictures, Hudson has found his new favorite pass time (eating toilet paper) so we have to make sure all of the bathroom doors are shut when he's cruising around the house.

Warm Weather!

It was a weekend of warm weather and a baby shower for some friends on Saturday. We all walked to the park on Saturday where Gwennie enjoyed checking out the flowers and sticks while Hudson just took in the scenery. The dogs and the kids were thoroughly pooped after the walk and all enjoyed a long nap. That night Corbin and I headed to a housewarming/baby shower for our friends Doug and Melissa.

Here are some pictures from our walk to the park and the shower!

Happy Birthday E!

This weekend I was in Greensboro with the youth from our church so Corbin and the kids headed down to Spartanburg for a visit with Granny Gary and Nina. They then over to Columbia to celebrate Aunt E's birthday with the rest of the Webb family! As you can see from the pictures everyone had a great time. The first set of pictures was a photo shoot of Ginger ignoring my attempt to save the hosta we transplanted. Here are a few pictures of her caught in the act and also the aftermath. Late last week I finally used a piece of tinfoil as a barrier and that seems to be doing the trick. Hopefully it will come back from Ginger's attempt to eat/flatten it!

Also in very exciting news Hudson is off baby food and eating like a champ! He also has the sippy cup down and according to his teachers eats better than the kids twice his age! Now if we can get his sister to follow suit with her veggies we would be all set.

Victory Garden!

In an attempt to be a little more "green" we put up a Victory Garden in the backyard last weekend. I forgot to take pictures of the madness so here are a few updated pictures of the yard. As you can see, the silver maple is going crazy so our usually green yard is covered with seeds. Gwennie likes to collect the seeds (while Hudson tries to eat them...and about anything else he can get in his mouth!). We also had to put flags around the hosta plants because Ginger thinks they are a nice snack.

Wheel Your Wagon...

Another beautiful weekend! We had a bunch of friends over for a "wheel your wagon" party...which was just a nice excuse to hang out in the backyard with all the kiddies and have Corbin man the grill for a while! Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Lots of News, Family and Happy Easter!

It has been a very busy week here! Hudson (finally) realized that he could in fact hold his own bottle. I think this week I must have been taking too long so he just took matters into his own hands and since then he's been feeding himself (including his table food which is pretty messy!).

Apparently Hudson also decided this sitting stuff was for the birds and the next morning I found him standing up in his crib checking things out! Now every morning I find him (and sometimes Gwennie throwing things into his crib) bouncing up and down waiting for us to wake up.

Thursday was the Easter Bonnet Parade at School. Both Gwennie and Hudson had a nice time parading around the block and as you can see from the pictures a lot of time and effort was made by all of the parents on the kid's hats.

Friday the kids were out of school so I took them up to Dan Nicolas Park in Salisbury where we checked out the carousel, wildlife center and petting zoo. Hudson slept through most of the action and when we got home we headed outside to try out Hudson in the kiddie pool. Gwennie seemed to enjoy it more than Hudson! Gwennie passed out on the couch from all the fun.

Sunday was the 91st aannual Webb Family Reunion and Easter egg hunt. As you can see from the pictures it was a beautiful day and lots of family was there. The kids (and the parents) had a blast and I found 2 money eggs! Which unfortunately are going straight to the tax bill :-( This is my favorite picture from the party because Hudson just LUUUUVS Big Bill!

Overall it was a wonderful weekend and we are so happy spring has sprung!

Failed Attempt at an Easter Photo

This weekend we feebly attempted to take pictures with both kids in their Easter clothes and I also tried to get pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. Apparently the mall no longer does this (after I trudged all over the mall and out to another mall searching for the photo stand. Guess Santa must have the market cornered!) so it looks like these are the best I am going to get. I also took some pictures from the book store and of the hail storm we had last night. The dogs, Corbin and I were pretty nervous when we heard all of the noise but it must not have been too bad since the kids slept through the whole thing! Also...here is a video of Hudson imitating Gwennie. I will let you decide what he is mimicking.

Aunt Nina and a Minivan!?!?!?!?

Well...we took the plunge and traded in the SUV for a minivan. As much as I will miss my "cool mobile", this is so much easier and the kids love it. Gwennie can't wait to hang out in her new car and Hudson loves that we don't accidentally smack his head on the roof when we put him in the car. I think I will come to love it, just need to get used to the new swagger wagon.

Nina also came for a visit this weekend as Uncle Robert was having his knee replaced. Saturday was beautiful so we headed to the Riverbanks zoo with our cousins Russ, Blyth and Alex. Then we went to dinner down the street with friends and Sunday we laid low given the rain kept us in the house. Overall it was a great weekend and we were glad Uncle Robert is doing well but we miss Nina! We loved having her with us and she was a big help!

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays...

This was the weekend of birthdays and warm weather! Saturday we decided it was time to clean my car out. I really don't remember the last time we really took out everything and gave the car a good session with the shop vac. I think the best thing anyone can do for clutter is to watch the show called "Hoarders". Needless to say the car is finally looking normal again!

Saturday afternoon Gwennie and I headed to Lia's 3rd birthday party which was super fun. As you can see from the pictures Lia's family and buddies from school were there and they all had a blast with the Pinata, Easter Egg Hunt and playing in the backyard.

Saturday evening we headed over to Oliver's for his 1st birthday party and as you will see from the pictures, he was all about his cake! We figured he might like the icing but within a few minutes Oliver had 1/2 of the cake in his hands, hair, face and was going for the walls next!

Sunday morning we left the boys at home to rest up (they both are getting over a cold/cough) and headed to Ben's 2nd birthday party at My Gym. The kids loved playing with all of the rings, bars and their favorite had to be the bounce track. Ben's mom Kristin made an amazing Dinosaur cake (yes...that wasn't a typo, she literally baked and iced the cake herself!) that was just as delicious!



Click on the picture of Lia to view more pictures

Gwennie's 3!

It was a big week for everyone at the Meek household. On Tuesday Hudson decided he was tired of waiting for everyone to move him around so he is now a full fledged crawler! There is a video below of his first time really moving.

Saturday Gwennie had her birthday party with all of her favorite friends including Crawford, Lexi, Lia, Stella, Matty, Charlie, Ben and Noah! As you will see from the pictures, all of the kids had a blast and were pooped once it was over. Corbin took a few funny videos of the madness.

Sunday was such a beautiful day that we pulled the bicycles out and took the kids to the park. Mommy and Daddy are in such bad shape that it was a struggle to get there and luckily Gwennie was more interested in having snack so we all rested before some well deserved play time. We headed back for a cook out with just the family and Hudson got to play with a few "new to you" old toys that Gwennie used when she was his age. Overall it was a great weekend! Here are our pics, a few videos and a link to some pictures Allison took of all the fun!

Click here to view photos

Weekend With the Cousins and Tubes Today...

It has been a great weekend in Charlotte. Our cousins Russ, Gini, Alex, Blyth and Tally (the dog) came up for a concert and stayed through the weekend. We all love when they are here because it gives the kids a ton of stuff to do and it give their parents a nightlife! Friday we had lasagna for dinner and as you will see by the pictures Gwennie and Blyth got more on their faces than their mouths! Saturday the boys took the girls to the park while Gini and I did some shopping and headed to dinner and a movie. It was so nice to get out for a "Girl's Night" so a big thank you to the hubbies for taking on kid duty!

Sunday was pretty laid back, the kids and I headed up to Melissa's to check out her beautiful new home and I wish I would have brought the camera. Gwennie had so much fun with Bella (the dog) that she was exhausted by the time we got home.

Today Hudson went in for Myringotomy surgery (tubes in the ears) which Gwennie also had around the same age. They both went through about 3 months of ear infections and since Gwennie had her surgery she has had 1 other ear infection in 2 years. Hudson is sleeping now but as you can see from the pictures he was a wonderful patient!

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Finally Some Warm Weather!

After what seemed like never ending cold weather, we finally were able to enjoy a nice weekend outside and at the park. Saturday we hitched the dogs up to the stroller and headed to the park. Hudson had his first of many times in the swings and loved it. Gwennie spent most of her time crawling in the jungle gym, singing and explaining to everyone that the sticks on the ground were "magical". I snapped a couple of videos of them as well that you can watch below.

Snowy Weekend!

This weekend was filled with lots of snow! Friday evening the snow started and by Saturday morning there was about 5 inches on the ground. Around 8 AM we dug out the snow clothes, bundled the kids up and let the dogs make a first pass at the front yard. I think out of everyone, Ruby seemed to enjoy herself the most. She ran all over the yard and couldn't seem to get enough of the weather. Gwennie loved making tracks in the snow and kicking the bushes to see what would happen. Hudson wasn't really sure what to think but was a good sport. After the snow we headed inside for pink chocolate chip pancakes. Apparently the snow wore everyone out because the kids passed out after! Saturday night we made some pot roast and gave some pureed pot roast to Hudson and as you can see from the pictures he seemed to enjoy it.

Sunday I tried my hand at beignets from New Orleans which really just were flattnets but still tasted pretty good. The house smelled like a fryer for the rest of the day so I think we will leave it to the experts and just stick to pancakes. Sunday night we spent Valentine's day with some friends for a kid friendly pizza dinner. Today it was just me and the kiddies so we did an IKEA run and then daddy came home early so Gwennie put on her dress, shoes and jacket to help with the recycling. Next time we will remind her that her shoes should probably match and in the winter it's a good idea to throw some pants on!

Oyster Roast 2010

This is literally the only picture where both Blyth and Gwennie are clothed and clean!

For those of you not watching the news, there was a HUGE storm that hit Virginia/Maryland/DC this weekend. We were planning on heading up there to visit friends and celebrate birthdays, unfortunately 3 ft of snow got in the way! Thursday afternoon Corbin and I were wavering between leaving at 4 PM to beat the snow or just heading to the Low Country to hang out with our cousins at the annual Oyster Roast. Finally around 3 PM we decided not to chance it and called Russ/Gini and asked if they wanted company this weekend. Gwennie and Hudson love to spend time with Blyth and Alex and we always have a blast hanging out with E, Gini and Russ so we left the car packed and headed down to Columbia Friday night. Blyth and Gwennie kept everyone in hysterics Friday night as they made an interesting mess of "Spaghetti Night". Gini made the sauce while Russ cooked the meatballs and it was a huge hit. Gwennie and Blyth probably stepped on more than they ate but they had lots of fun doing so. After hosing them off and putting their jammies on we read a few stories. They spent more time "talking" on their cell phones with each other than actually listening to the story but by about 9 PM they were wiped out and ready to crash.

Saturday morning we all loaded up and headed down to Huger (pronounced YouJee...don't ask my why it's said that way, couldn't tell you) to see the rest of the fam and as usual, I didn't plan well so the camera battery didn't make it very long :-( Here are a few pictures from Saturday with Page showering her ace Auntie/Mothering skills, Aunt Louise pushing Gwennie on the swing and Molly (who is a big sister to baby Jack!) giving a "Yay, we did it!" picture smile on the swing. When the girls got there Molly/Blyth/Gwennie/Alex all couldn't wait to play together (just like Xmas!) and had lots of fun making a mess.

I wish the camera was working all day because the pictures of Gwennie COVERED in mud from playing on the slide were pretty funny. I think she might have been the dirtiest kid there but she sure did have fun!

A big thank you to Nana, all of the Aunts and Uncles (especially Bill who held Hudson and kept him smiling and happy) Page, Emily Vick, and Jeremy for helping out with kid duty!!! It took an army to keep track of all of the little ones!

Who Dat???

It's Clark! This weekend we celebrated Gwennie's Godfather's birthday in New Orleans. Nancy, Clark, Corbin, Stephanie, Matt and I all headed down to New Orleans (sans kiddies) for a weekend of eating, eating and more eating! We also happened to be down right at the start of Mardi Gras season. We were fortunate enough to see the first parade called Krewe du Vieux which is VERY racey and not something you take the kids too. WARNING....some of the pictures are a bit graphic but they are straight from the parade and luckily the night vision on our camera blurred things a bit. I also removed some of the more interesting ones for the faint of heart! .
Sunday we also got to see the Buddy D's Bet Parade which was a tribute to the recently deceased New Orleans sports broadcast legend Buddy Diliberto. He said he would wear a dress down Porter Street if the Saints ever went to a Super Bowl...well he passed away just a few months before the Saints won that bet so thousands of men and women came out to parade in his honor. And I can officially say we are all huge Saints fans now. Signs read "Who Dat" and "Bless You Boys!" all over the town. I am not sure what the NFL thinks about that logo but I can tell you New Orleans deserves a Super Bowl victory!


Here are the pictures from the week with a couple of the kids from this morning. AGAIN...THESE ARE A LITTLE RACEY!!!

He Needed His Toys!

This is how I found "baby brother" on Tuesday morning. Gwennie decided he needed all of the toys in his room in his crib. Luckily he happened to be on the other side of the crib so he wasn't buried under the pile but he seems very content with his new crib buddies and Gwennie was reading to him with one of his books that she had pulled off of his shelf. She's been doing this just about every morning and she now gets that he only needs the "little" toys in his crib rather than everything! Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Messy Kids!

Not too many pictures this week. After about a week of being illness free Gwennie looks to be coming down with a cold and it has been raining all weekend so we decided to hang out near the house. Saturday we had a girls day and saw the Princess and the Frog which Gwennie loved! We then headed over to Chick-a-let (I think you can guess where we went) for lunch while Daddy and Hudson chilled at home. Last night I gave Hudson a cracker while Gwennie was eating some pudding for dessert and these pictures pretty much sum up what happened a few seconds later. I also put up a picture of Gwennie's morning outfit today. Apparently she's decided black patent leather and PJs on her head is a new fashion statement!