What a great Christmas!
We had so much fun, so many presents & so much love.
At the end of our long, full day, I tucked Savannah in bed. I reminded her that tomorrow, when she wakes up, she can play with all of her new toys.
I then asked her, "what do you want to play with the very most tomorrow?"
She quickly replied, "You!"
I am so thankful for my children, who so sweetly remind me that the most important thing we can give each other is our time, attention, and love.
Merry Christmas!!
December 25, 2007
December 10, 2007
Buddies
Ever since she met him (at 6 months of age) Savannah has had a serious crush on her buddy, Dresden.
There's just something about Dre that Savannah L-O-V-E-S.
Last weekend, Rod & I took them to the Sculpture Garden for a morning of art projects, scavenger hunts & fun.
Too cute...
There's just something about Dre that Savannah L-O-V-E-S.
Last weekend, Rod & I took them to the Sculpture Garden for a morning of art projects, scavenger hunts & fun.
Too cute...
Hinze Family Thanksgiving
We had such an incredible Thanksgiving weekend this year.
My brother & sister-in-law (Nate & JoLee) flew in from Kansas to stay with us. We were lucky enough to have them from Wednesday night until Monday morning, so we had a lot of time to really enjoy their good company.
We invited 4 other families over for our Thanksgiving feast, so we hosted 12 adults, 5 toddlers & 5 babies in total! I made turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes & a cheesecake. My wonderful girlfriends brought the rest & our spread was absolutely fantastic. Dinner was followed by games & "relaxing" amid lots of active children!
The Thanksgiving Table:
Enjoying the Feast:
Nate & JoLee are a TON of fun & they are ALWAYS up for an adventure.
JoLee is currently working on her Doctorate in Art History, so we were more than happy to join her for a few art museum visits in Fort Worth. We checked out the Kimbell Art Museum & the Amon Carter Museum. The kids loved them both & Savannah left begging for more!
Posing at the museum:
Enjoying Mexican food in Fort Worth:
Savoring gelato after a fun evening viewing of the movie "Enchanted"
On Saturday morning, we packed up the kids & drove out to Fossil Rim. Nate & JoLee were appropriately impressed with the great wildlife encounter! The highlight was feeding the completely agressive ostrich who stuck his head all the way into the console of the car in attempts to steal the entire bag of food. Good thing JoLee thwarted him just in time!
Nate & JoLee posing after our meal at Mi Cocina (one of our favorite Mexican restaurants):
On Sunday, we relaxed, went to church (I was asked to speak, so it was nice to have Nate & JoLee there to support me!), decorated the Christmas tree, and played with the kids.
We were all so sad to see them leave & we're looking forward to seeing Nate & JoLee again soon (in January at Disneyland!)
My brother & sister-in-law (Nate & JoLee) flew in from Kansas to stay with us. We were lucky enough to have them from Wednesday night until Monday morning, so we had a lot of time to really enjoy their good company.
We invited 4 other families over for our Thanksgiving feast, so we hosted 12 adults, 5 toddlers & 5 babies in total! I made turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes & a cheesecake. My wonderful girlfriends brought the rest & our spread was absolutely fantastic. Dinner was followed by games & "relaxing" amid lots of active children!
The Thanksgiving Table:
Enjoying the Feast:
Nate & JoLee are a TON of fun & they are ALWAYS up for an adventure.
JoLee is currently working on her Doctorate in Art History, so we were more than happy to join her for a few art museum visits in Fort Worth. We checked out the Kimbell Art Museum & the Amon Carter Museum. The kids loved them both & Savannah left begging for more!
Posing at the museum:
Enjoying Mexican food in Fort Worth:
Savoring gelato after a fun evening viewing of the movie "Enchanted"
On Saturday morning, we packed up the kids & drove out to Fossil Rim. Nate & JoLee were appropriately impressed with the great wildlife encounter! The highlight was feeding the completely agressive ostrich who stuck his head all the way into the console of the car in attempts to steal the entire bag of food. Good thing JoLee thwarted him just in time!
Nate & JoLee posing after our meal at Mi Cocina (one of our favorite Mexican restaurants):
On Sunday, we relaxed, went to church (I was asked to speak, so it was nice to have Nate & JoLee there to support me!), decorated the Christmas tree, and played with the kids.
We were all so sad to see them leave & we're looking forward to seeing Nate & JoLee again soon (in January at Disneyland!)
Rod Runs the Rock
Rod recently participated in the Dallas White Rock Marathon Relay.
4 of our neighbors asked him to join their team & run 6 of the 26.2 miles.
He ran the first leg of the race, and got the team off to a great start. They ended up finishing second in their division.
Here's Rod at the end of his race--looks like 6 miles wasn't near enough distance to wear out this athlete!
4 of our neighbors asked him to join their team & run 6 of the 26.2 miles.
He ran the first leg of the race, and got the team off to a great start. They ended up finishing second in their division.
Here's Rod at the end of his race--looks like 6 miles wasn't near enough distance to wear out this athlete!
November 30, 2007
Visit with Santa
We just had our first visit of the season with Santa.
One of our children was a little more excited than the other about sitting on Santa's lap...
One of our children was a little more excited than the other about sitting on Santa's lap...
End of Season for the Pink Ponies
The Pink Ponies soccer season has officially come to a close.
We're so proud of Savannah & Coach Rod!
The girls, drooling over their cake:
Savannah, receiving her fantastic bobble-head trophy from Coach Rod.
We're so proud of Savannah & Coach Rod!
The girls, drooling over their cake:
Savannah, receiving her fantastic bobble-head trophy from Coach Rod.
November 17, 2007
She's a Winner!!
The Highland Park Pharmacy is a charming little spot close to downtown that has been in Dallas since 1912. The old-fashioned soda fountain is still fully functioning & it's a quaint place to grab a grilled cheese sandwich & a milkshake.
A couple of weeks ago, Savannah entered their coloring contest. Savannah is a VERY good artist & we were thrilled to receive a phone call last night informing us that she's a winner!
We took the whole family down to the Pharmacy to collect Savannah's prize (a Highland Park Pharmacy T-Shirt) & to congratulate her on a job well done!
Posing in front of her masterpiece (bottom right)
Selecting her t-shirt (in her favorite color, of course)
Receiving the prize:
Relaxing at the counter in her "major award"
Good work, Hinze!
A couple of weeks ago, Savannah entered their coloring contest. Savannah is a VERY good artist & we were thrilled to receive a phone call last night informing us that she's a winner!
We took the whole family down to the Pharmacy to collect Savannah's prize (a Highland Park Pharmacy T-Shirt) & to congratulate her on a job well done!
Posing in front of her masterpiece (bottom right)
Selecting her t-shirt (in her favorite color, of course)
Receiving the prize:
Relaxing at the counter in her "major award"
Good work, Hinze!
More Parties for Will!
I just can't resist an excuse to have a party, and I really can't think of a better reason to celebrate than a first birthday!
Last Sunday evening, we had friends over to our house for Texas Sheet Cake & Blue Bell Ice Cream. Will sat on our coffee table & was mesmerized as the crowd sang "Happy Birthday".
At our Friday PlayGroup, we celebrated with Will's good buddy, Sam Houghton. The boys are just 9 days apart & make the cutest little two-some. We had a tennis ball cake for Will, a football cake for Sam, and matching cupcakes. What a fun time!
Last Sunday evening, we had friends over to our house for Texas Sheet Cake & Blue Bell Ice Cream. Will sat on our coffee table & was mesmerized as the crowd sang "Happy Birthday".
At our Friday PlayGroup, we celebrated with Will's good buddy, Sam Houghton. The boys are just 9 days apart & make the cutest little two-some. We had a tennis ball cake for Will, a football cake for Sam, and matching cupcakes. What a fun time!
November 10, 2007
Happy First Birthday William!
November 9th (Friday) was Will's first birthday. He had a great day...
In the morning, he had freshly baked blueberry muffin breakfast in the bathtub.
In the afternoon, he went to his favorite park.
In the evening, he went to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza, cupcakes, skee ball, rides, and lots & lots of fun!
!
Will is such a good little boy. He loves to be with the crowd, and he is just fun & easy to have around. He smiles a lot, talks a lot, and laughs a lot. He's a good sleeper, a good eater, and he's really really cute. Will is completely in love with his sister & it's the best feeling in the world to see my 2 kids interact & play together so well.
This is my frequent view of Will--pulling at my pant leg, just wanting to be picked up. I am so in love with this kid!
Happy Birthday William!!!
In the morning, he had freshly baked blueberry muffin breakfast in the bathtub.
In the afternoon, he went to his favorite park.
In the evening, he went to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza, cupcakes, skee ball, rides, and lots & lots of fun!
!
Will is such a good little boy. He loves to be with the crowd, and he is just fun & easy to have around. He smiles a lot, talks a lot, and laughs a lot. He's a good sleeper, a good eater, and he's really really cute. Will is completely in love with his sister & it's the best feeling in the world to see my 2 kids interact & play together so well.
This is my frequent view of Will--pulling at my pant leg, just wanting to be picked up. I am so in love with this kid!
Happy Birthday William!!!
November 07, 2007
Weekend Adventure - Part II
After our fantastic day at the Cramer's house, we headed down to San Antonio for a day at Sea World!
Our greeting at the gate by the pretend dolphin turned out to be the highlight of the trip for Savannah. Yes, after a 5 hour drive & an entire day spent viewing REAL sea life, she just couldn't stop begging to "hug the pretend dolphin again"!
The Shamu show was (of course) a big hit.
Will & I spent the entire day strapped to each other. He just can't get enough of the Bjorn. It's getting EXTREMELY heavy, but he's just so content to be there. He was completely mesmerized by all of the shows & absolutely loved clapping along with the crowds.
The kids watched their first 3-D movie & got a big kick out of wearing the glasses (notice the double glasses on Savannah!)
The gigantic play area was a ton of fun:
Jen & Savannah enjoyed several rides together:
Savannah absolutely insisted on riding this one solo--what an independent girl!
Savannah was pretty upset about leaving Sea World at the end of the day. Lucky for us, "pretend Shamu" was waiting at the exit gate. After a big hug from him, she left with a smile on her face.
Our greeting at the gate by the pretend dolphin turned out to be the highlight of the trip for Savannah. Yes, after a 5 hour drive & an entire day spent viewing REAL sea life, she just couldn't stop begging to "hug the pretend dolphin again"!
The Shamu show was (of course) a big hit.
Will & I spent the entire day strapped to each other. He just can't get enough of the Bjorn. It's getting EXTREMELY heavy, but he's just so content to be there. He was completely mesmerized by all of the shows & absolutely loved clapping along with the crowds.
The kids watched their first 3-D movie & got a big kick out of wearing the glasses (notice the double glasses on Savannah!)
The gigantic play area was a ton of fun:
Jen & Savannah enjoyed several rides together:
Savannah absolutely insisted on riding this one solo--what an independent girl!
Savannah was pretty upset about leaving Sea World at the end of the day. Lucky for us, "pretend Shamu" was waiting at the exit gate. After a big hug from him, she left with a smile on her face.
Weekend Adventure - Part I
The other day, Rod received an unexpected phone call from the USTA, inviting him down to Austin for a national tennis tournament. (He had to be ranked in the top 8 in the state of Texas to receive the invitation!) So, he packed up & headed down for some serious tennis.
The next day, I decided to take the kids down to Austin & meet up with him. I didn't have anything on my calendar, and I thought a weekend in Austin sounded like a lot more fun than a weekend at my house! So, I drove the kids down & we spent some time with our good friends, the Cramers.
We had a TON of fun with David, Daisy & their daughter, Sophie. The kids had a GREAT time exploring the Cramers house, completely tearing apart their fantastic playroom, and loving/terrorizing Breezy (the best dog ever).
We then spent the evening at "Flying Tomato". The weather was beautiful and we ate pizza outside, while being accompanied by the fiddle & the banjo. The kids REALLY kicked up their heels & had a seriously good time dancing the night away. I must say, Savannah busted out some pretty creative moves!
That night, the Cramers blew up their aero-bed to let Sophie & Savannah have an official slumber party. The girls had SUCH a fun time playing on the bed & staying up WAY too late. Thank you, Cramers, for being SO MUCH FUN!!!
The next day, I decided to take the kids down to Austin & meet up with him. I didn't have anything on my calendar, and I thought a weekend in Austin sounded like a lot more fun than a weekend at my house! So, I drove the kids down & we spent some time with our good friends, the Cramers.
We had a TON of fun with David, Daisy & their daughter, Sophie. The kids had a GREAT time exploring the Cramers house, completely tearing apart their fantastic playroom, and loving/terrorizing Breezy (the best dog ever).
We then spent the evening at "Flying Tomato". The weather was beautiful and we ate pizza outside, while being accompanied by the fiddle & the banjo. The kids REALLY kicked up their heels & had a seriously good time dancing the night away. I must say, Savannah busted out some pretty creative moves!
That night, the Cramers blew up their aero-bed to let Sophie & Savannah have an official slumber party. The girls had SUCH a fun time playing on the bed & staying up WAY too late. Thank you, Cramers, for being SO MUCH FUN!!!
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