Friday, January 28, 2011

Winter Zoo Trips

What do you do when there are record high temperatures in the end of January on a Friday morning? Take two giggly girls to the zoo of course! That is exactly what my friend Kelly and I did! These little girls are SO funny! Sometimes they are at their throats and snatching toys from each other. Other times they are the BEST of friends! We are amazed at how much these two have grown and grown to really love each other!

Up and close with the tiger.

Kylie was done with the photo-op so J smiled for me!

They started to hold hands just before this point. Both of us moms thought it was so cute we had to have a picture!


I just LOVE these giggly girls!


In Him,
The Hutchins

Wordless Wednesday...Subliminal Messages

(I know this isn't being posted on a Wednesday, but it took place on Wednesday of this week.)

Monday, January 24, 2011

There's NO place like home, *CLICK, CLICK*

Today we were able to honor our hero. My brother, Billie, is a Staff Sargent in the US Air Force. He was stationed in Afghanistan for nearly 4 months. Today, he returned to Kansas (after a short stay at the base where he is currently stationed in Mountain Home, Idaho). We had the honor of greeting him at the airport upon his return. It was such a wonderful experience! I know Jesstine isn't old enough to be able to remember it or even understand it, but maybe some day she will understand the significance of this day. Welcome home Billie!! In the words of Judy Garland (as Dorthy), "There's no place like home!!!"


My friend, Kelly, and I made a sign to hold up for Billie as he came out of the gate at the airport. Later Jesstine added her own scribbles to it.


My brother was also greeted by some of the members of the VFW post that my grandmother was a member of when she was still alive. For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a group of war vetrans. They came with Old Glory flying high in a tunnel for my brother to walk through.



Here is the finished sign for Uncle Billie!


Jesstine had never been to the airport before. She reveled in the open space to run in (supervised of course) while waiting for Uncle Billie to arrive.

More running. This time I caught her shoes lighting up!


I had other pictures of my mom hugging my brother, but they were so blurry! I decided to turn the flash off and was at least able to catch his face right before he embraced her.


Jesstine was unsure of things at this point. Billie bent down to give her a hug and she had to turn to me for reassurance before finally giving him the best hug!

Here is a banner that was presented to my brother by our good family friend, (and veteran) Robin Ray. Each of us present at his home coming signed it...including Jesstine.

Here he is shaking the hand of a woman who I believe is still serving our country in one of the branches of service. She presented him with a t-shirt and was telling us that his story will likely air on a local television station on the 6:00 news.


Here one of the veterans has presented him with the paperwork to become a member of the VFW should he chose to when he exits the military.


Just a good picture of him in front of his tunnel of flags.


This looks like a really good picture of Jesstine tagging along as her uncle greets and thanks all of the people who were there on his behalf. Really she is still just running back and forth. Cheep thrills for the toddler!


Later we all went to Texas Roadhouse for some dinner. Jesstine LOVES it when they get up and dance! This time she and another little girl got up to dance at the same time. So the dancers picked them up and let them join in!

In Him,
The Hutchins

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Thank You God For Little Girls.....

.....who love to sing about puppy dogs......


It makes me so happy, so very happy that my daughter loves to sing about God's creation and love for each and every one of us!



In Him,
The Hutchins

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snow Bugs

Jesstine has always been a lover of books. Her books can span a variety of different subjects and can be just about any length. I troll garage sales for used books in good shape. In the middle of summer, I came across a book for a quarter. The subject was bugs. It was in the "Bright and Early Books for Beginners" (with the Cat in the Hat logo) series, so I knew it had to be good. After flipping through it, I decided it would be a great addition to our collection. Jesstine LOVED it! So, I thought I would turn this recent weather activity into our own abridged version of Snow Bugs. So, without further adieu, here is the Hutchins' Snow Bugs.


It's snowing! It's blowing!

It's a SNOW DAY!! It's a PLAY day!

Roll over and slide!


Throw snowballs...

and hide!

Run back inside!!

Humm, bugs who are bare....

need something to wear.


Oh NO! Too much Snow!

What to do? Shovel through!

Sliding, gliding..

riding....WHEEEEE

Scoop....

and throw! HO! HO! HO!


Flap your wings!

Make snow things (in the book there were bugs making bug snow angels).


Show bugs! Snow bugs! Way to go bugs!

Stay Warm,
The Hutchins

Monday, January 10, 2011

Snow Play, Snow Day!

We have had our first snow here in Wichita! School was still in session, but it happened to fall on my day off, so I got to enjoy it with my little one! I was going to create my own version of her one of her favorite books, Snow Bugs, but I didn't have the right pictures! Perhaps if she goes out again after nap, I will be able to come up with something to that effect! Until then, enjoy the pictures I did get, including the new header! Not quite as good as last year, but snow is no longer a new thing to her like it was last year. It is just as exciting though!

Poor Dumpty! She wanted to join us so badly!

Snow picture of 2011!


Jesstine's attempt at a snow angel! She didn't like the snow falling in her face.



Trying her hardest to make a snowball! (Not the right kind of snow! Far too powdery!)

Throwing said snowball.

Much like Randy on "A Christmas Story" she often fell and couldn't get back up!

Still trying for the perfect showball!

Mommy thought this would be a great photo-op. Jesstine wasn't buying it!

She was very concerned when we went to her playhouse and her phone was covered in snow! Here she is rescuing it!

Mommy's snow angel.

After snow hot cocoa!

Stay warm!
The Hutchins