London Is Wearing Carla's Baby Clothes

These are both outfits of Carla's that I saved. The one on the left looks just like Carla.

The Little Princess Is Growing Fast!

Syd...this picture is for you. You probably don't remember, but this is the sweater and bonnet you and your Mom gave Carla when she was born. We also saved that beautiful white blanket, but we haven't gotten it in a picture yet.

My Baby Turns 21

Can you believe it? My baby girl turned 21 this weekend. We celebrated her birthday at my apartment with a family get together. Jona, Donna, Wyatt, and Trey joined Carla, Daniel, Dylan, Londaon, and me for her favorite meal...manicotti and cheesecake. Wyatt made his award winning cookies to add to the meal. Even though Carla is my princess, you can guess who the star of the show was....that's right....the grandkids, especially our newest star London. Donna managed to avoid the camera somehow. I was only able to get Jona and Wyatt in one or two. And the one behind the iron man mask is Trey. We really had a great time together. I so love being out here in Texas with my crew, even though I do miss all of you back in Mississippi.

It's been quite a weekend for the Hilburn's and Mom

London Paisley FINALLY made her entrance into the world Friday, Oct. 3rd at 6:45 PM. Daniel was the best at keeping Carla calm. I did Grammy duty and entertained Dylan while he waited for his little sis. I think she looks like Carla did when she was a baby, but then I can see Daniel in her too. One thing is for certain, Carla will definitely make her into a girlie girl little princess. Sound familiar? I didn't do that to Carla, did I?

More pictures of London and family

Dylan was so proud of his little sister! I spent the weekend with him while Dad stayed at the hospital with London and Mom. He is so gentle with her and will be the best big brother ever!

Thirty-three Weeks and Counting

It's almost time for London's arrival. Needless to say, we are all very excited. Carla said if one more person tells her she is huge, she might just get an attitude! No, not my Carla! Daniel and Dylan are both very excited about London. Dylan keeps patting his mommy's belly and giving her kisses!

I'm Working on Things for London...It's Almost Time for Her Arrival

Carla wants me to start my own sweat shop to get all the things made for London. This one is my pet project. I also made an afgan to match it. She and Daniel promise that she will wear this home from the hospital.

Wyatt's Summer

Wyatt's baseball skills continue to improve. His mom and dad signed him up for private pitching lessons since his coach spotted his leftie pitching ability. He loves the game.

Dylan's Summer

Dylan and his mom and dad had lots of fun this summer. He had a really special 4th of July and also worked on learning how to ride his bike. You can see Carla loves to make the holidays special for him.

Trey's Summer Fun

Trey made his first trip off a diving board this summer. As you can see he is fearless!

This Summer Has Gone By WAY Too Fast

One of our first two family get togethers for the summer were Wyatt and Trey's birthday parties. Donna and Jona chose to let them have their parties separate this year. Both parties were a great success for the boys. And do you love those fauxhawks the boys are sporting?

Dinner With Carla, Daniel, Dylan and Lee

Daniel's brother Lee came home from Japan (he's on a military assignment there for two years) and wanted to eat cooked seafood. He says the only seafood you can get in Japan is raw! You can see Carla's baby bump is now a "bit" larger. And, ofcourse, Dylan and I had to clown around a bit. I'm glad they gave us a bib!

Just Another Night at Grammy's

I had the boys stay with me several times this summer. I love that they are close and enjoy playing with each other. As you can see, they enjoy dress up boy style!

Dylan's the One in the Sun Glasses

My little ham couldn't resist posing between the scarecrows. He can have fun no matter where he goes!

Where Has the Summer Gone?!?!

I was blessed with lots of "Grammy" time with my boys this summer while we wait for London to get here. On one of my window shopping expeditions with Carla, Dylan just had to climb on this elephant to pose!

I can't wait to meet London Paisley!

Hi everyone! I can get my crochet hooks out again and this time I get to use pink! I know it's hard to tell from a sonigram, but she looks like Carla! She definitely has her beautiful mouth! She will arrive around the first of October. I had dinner tonight with Carla, Daniel and Dylan. That's when they told me the news that my fourth grandchild will be a girl. My sister Dana was the last girl born in my mom and dad's family line; Carla was the last girl born in mine and Carl's family line; now here comes London!

Dylan is excited about his baby sister. Daniel and Carla took him to see the sonigram. I kept some of Carla's clothes that I had sewn for her, so it will be fun to play dress-up with London. Also, I will be getting out my ribbon and making bows of every color and size!

Keep them in your prayers for a healthy, happy baby girl and an easy delivery for Carla.

OK I Goofed

You've got to go to the bottom of these new blogs and read the entries from the bottom up. I composed the blogs in the order they happened, but they posted in reverse order...oh well!

The day ends at Jona and Donna's for a cookout

I didn't get any pictures of Jona cooking or of us eating because we were too busy enjoying each other's company. After a fantastic meal of grilled steaks (cooked by Jona on his new grill) and loaded baked potatoes, we ate Carla's DELICIOUS pineapple cream angel food cake topped with strawberries. She took most of the chef credit, but said Daniel helped a little. After the meal, the boys rocked out to Guitar Hero and then settled down for some serious gameplay. Ofcourse, Daniel was right in the middle of the game.

Oh, and I almost forgot the big surprise. Carla helped the boys paint a custom flower pot for me that highlighted the boys' handprints. And she left a spot on the pot for the baby's handprint after the arrival!

I can truly say, "I am blessed!" It was a very sweet Mother's Day weekend.

The IHOP traditions continues

Wyatt talked to MeMama and PawPaw Dan while we waited for the food. Dylan had to order exactly what Trey had. Then when his food came, he ate mine instead! By the time we left the place, they were on a definite sugar high!

The Next Morning

OK...Charlie and the boys tried to convince me that they were little angels and were still asleep. I knew that was wrong because Wyatt had already woken up at 3:30 that morning to play computer....yawn! So we goofed off awhile and then headed out again.

And the the Grammy fun begins

What could be more fun for the boys than an afternoon in the pool at my apartment. It took a lot of effort to get them to be still long enough to take this shot. Dylan and I had gone by the dollar store between games and picked up a BUNCH of pool toys. We swam for about an hour and played hard. When Carla got to my apartment after she got off work, she tried to talk Dylan into going home with her. But he would have no part of that. He was going to spend the night with his cousins and be in on all the fun.

After I was finally able to drag them out of the pool we ate pizza and headed to the movies to see Speed Racer. Dylan fell asleep as soon as the movie started, so I got in a lot of snuggle time with him.

Shots while the boys are waiting for the game to end

Dylan was so excited to be at Wyatt and Trey's games. And, ofcourse, they were equally excited to see him!

Jona's in on the action, too

Jona really seems to be enjoying working with Trey's team. He has great communication with the boys.

Wyatt's game was also on the agenda for the day

Wyatt has really improved his game. Here he is waiting for the pitch. Jona and Donna are very happy with his coach this year because he is taking time to teach Wyatt what he needs to improve his game. Also, the coach has spotted a strong potential for Wyatt to be a powerful leftie pitcher. He bats and catches right handed, but throws left. The coach has even had a former semi-pro to work with Wyatt on the basics of leftie pitching.

Trey at bat with Dad watching

This is Trey at bat. You can see his Dad, Jona, at third. He helps coach Trey's team. Here in Texas, Trey plays "Coach pitch" ball. Back in Mississippi he would be playing t-ball instead. The main thing is that he has fun. Trey didn't get a hit on this one, but last game he scored a run. It was really fun to watch him run the bases and then skip across home plate. He kept saying, "I got a home run!" (even though he was batted in)

I had THE most wonderful Mother's Day weekend with my family

I started off the weekend with Dylan spending the day with me while his mommy worked. I took him first to Trey's game in Anna...where Wyatt was already watching Trey play. The boys just chilled and ate sweets while Trey sweated out the game! Dylan decided right away that he wanted to play baseball!

This is the reason I moved to Texas!

I had a great day weekend before last with Dylan and his mommie and daddy! Dylan's daycare school hosted a festival and ofcourse he was the star of the show for their performance. I got there just in the nick of time to see his class sing. I snuck down front and sat on the floor right in front of the stage. When he looked up and saw me, he grinned really big and yelled, "Grammy!" Ofcourse that made me want to explode with happiness. After the show we had a fun time playing the games. Afterwards we went to a Chinese grill for lunch. Then, last weekend I was went to watch Trey play baseball. Jona is one of the coaches. Trey scored a run and was SO excited. I've gone to Wyatt's game too...his game is really improving. School is almost out for the summer. I guess I'll be back at Anna next year unless God opens the door for another high school computer position. I am really nervous about next year because I will have to teach Wyatt. That will be VERY different. He has already told me he will call me Ms. Grammy.

Spring Break Is Here!

This school year has just flown by...maybe I am just getting old...nah, never! I have always heard, though, that the older you get, the faster time goes by. I will admit to getting older...but never old! Anyhow, I am sitting at Jona's house because I am dog sitting and house sitting while he, Donna, and the kids are in Mississippi. I wish I were with them, but a mom has to do what a mom has to do! I couldn't let my granddogs stay locked up in a kennel for a week. I plan to sew for Carla (maternity clothes) and for the drama teacher at school. She needs a rabbit costume, fairy skirts, and Alice in Wonderland's apron. When I make costumes, it makes me think of my mom. I can remember many of the costumes she made. One that stands out in my memory is Mike as a giraffe...she used a carpet tube for the neck. I was decked out many times in her costumes ranging from Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, monkey, lollipops, etc.

I get to play with Dylan tomorrow because his daycare is out for spring break too. He, Carla and Daniel are going to Mississippi this weekend...sniff, sniff.

Back to the school year...I passed my technology certification test, so I am praying about what and where to teach next year. If I stay where I am at, I will probably have to teach Wyatt next year. I REALLY don't feel comfortable about that because he and I are so close. He has already told me that he will call me Ms. Grammy if I am his teacher! It has been a real stretch of my comfort zone in teaching to work with sixth graders and to teach English instead of computers. There are SO many papers to read and grade...I prefer just looking at a screen or a printout to grade something! God has a special place for English teachers...and math teachers! I think there will be no papers in their mansion!

Who Would Have Thought...Snow in March!

We had not one, but two days within one week of snow right before spring break. Needless to say, I had a ball. There is something about snow that makes me act like a 12 year old. So, what better place to be than with a bunch of 12 year olds...my students. We started school late, so a group of my students helped me and another brave teacher build a snowman. Take a look at the pictures and you will see. Ofcourse, I look a hot mess because of the wind and 19 layers of clothes! But it was worth it to make a memory!

Will My Baby Girl Have a Baby Girl?

Yes! I can FINALLY announce the news! Carla and Daniel have a baby on the way! The due date is in early October. I have known for a couple of weeks and I have been bugging them about letting me break the news to everyone. But I had to wait and wait and wait until they told everyone. Ofcourse, I am hoping for a girl...they are too. My prayer, though, is that the pregancy goes well and the baby arrives in perfect condition. Still, a girl after ALL these boys would be so great! I would be able to get out the sewing machine, embrodery needles, crochet hooks, etc., and get busy on frilly things instead of bugs and cars and dragons, etc. Carla is the last girl born on both sides of her family....so maybe! Please keep her and the baby, as well as Daniel and Dylan in your prayers. Also, please pray for her dad, Carl, because he had another stroke and is having to go through rehabilitation again for speech problems.

Better Late than Never!

I was looking through some pictures tonight while waiting for my incredibly slow computer to do its thing. What should I discover but pictures from my trip to Mississippi over Christmas. So, here is my Mississippi Christmas blog...a little late, but still here. I had a wonderful time with Dana, Tim, Caleb and Jessie. She and I always pick up right where we left the conversation off when we last were together. She has inherited the "Lena Mae" green thumb and has all kinds of cuttings from my old "Oasis" in Brandon growing like mad in her yard. Plus she has some pass-alongs from her mother-in-law and some new additions. Mom would be proud of you, my sister! We also got to spend some really quality time with Mike, Suki, Ben and Jon. Chris had already left, so we missed seeing him. Mike is turning into a major romantic guy since the boys are grown and gone...he is always planning something special for Suki. They just took a cruise to Alaska not too long ago, then went to Atlanta for an LSU weekend. God will forgive you, Mike and Suki, for that LSU hangup. I think he has something else up his sleeve, but I can't let the cat out of the bag. And Suki always keeps me laughing! Plus all that home cooking by both Suki and Dana really made me blow my diet for a few days! I made Dana and Mike a shadow box of memories from our childhood and gave it to them for Christmas. I think they liked the walk down memory lane. All in all, it was a great trip back home full of lots of fun times and heart felt closeness.

Will I get to be the landscaper?

Daniel and Carla have me drooling with their new back yard. It reminds me of my home back in Mississippi. When I moved in there was nothing in the back yard and I lovingly turned it into my private oasis. Maybe I'll get to do this for them.......It would be great to get my hands dirty again. Not having a garden is the only down side I have found about living in my new apartment.

My Baby Girl Has Grown Up!

Be sure to look at the pictures of Carla and Daniels new home. I am SO proud of them for making the move to home ownership. They are, needless to say, very excited. It's hard to believe that 3 years have passed since those two got married.