Nolan and his horse

Nolan's two new favorite things are his hat, and his horse. He points and says, "hat," then points and says, "horse." The other night, he just HAD to try to ride his little Breyer horse. When riding didn't work, he settled for just cuddling with him. I think we have a cowboy on our hands. :)

Waylon, the photographer

Daddy, hold the bear next to your face. Just like that. Perfect!
Okay, Daddy. Now, get down next to the refrigerator. Perfect!




So, Waylon has recently discovered a love of photography. He loves to take my camera (with mommy or daddy's help, of course!), and set up shots around the house. I love how he gives instructions on how to pose. I wonder where he gets that!? I must say, for a 4-year-old, he's not too shabby. I think Santa might need to invest in a camera for this little boy this year! Ha.

Cowboy Nolan

A few weeks ago, Nolan got a chance to wear the cowboy outfit that me, my brother and Waylon have all worn at 15 months old. It was so special to see him in this outfit, and it's so fun to carry on this tradition.



My brother, Willy, wearing the cowboy outfit.

Me as a little cowgirl. :)

The latest with the Lees

Wow. It's been a LONG time since I've posted. I'm determined to get back into the habit of posting. :) Just a little update on what's been happening in our world the past few months.

On Sept. 10, I officially left my job with NSR to begin my freelance writing/photography/copy editing business -- Cee Lee Communications. Someone told me I would question why I hadn't done it sooner, and she was definitely right! I LOVE it. I've been able to get back to what I love, and the business has been steady. Plus, I'm now able to do the little things for my family -- take the boys to day care, take Waylon to preschool, have dinner on the table at night. I feel so blessed!

Waylon loves preschool. He's learning something new every day, and he can't wait for preschool days. His teacher, Mrs. Anderson, is also wonderful. A sweet, caring gal -- Waylon loves her. This month, he's been learning about outer space. The other night, he told me, "Mom, I wish we could turn our house into a rocket ship, so we could go to outer space. I haven't been there in a while." So darn cute!

Nolan has grown SO much! He's talking all the time now. Pretty much, he's making an attempt to repeat any word we say. "Hot, hi, bye, Sponge Bob (one of his favorites.. ugh!), cow, dog, sheep, mom, dad, Bubba (his word for Waylon)." He has this little mischievous grin that just melts this momma's heart. He's also developed a love of dancing. One of my favorite moments of our day is when Waylon turns on the stereo, and he and Nolan have a "dance off" in the living room. All of life's problems just melt away at that point. :)

So, that's our life in a nutshell. I plan to upload some photos soon. Who would have known this blogging thing would become so difficult! Ha!

Officially a "soccer mom!"

So, I'm officially a "soccer mom." Waylon started soccer practice last night. Although he was a bit apprehensive when we first arrived to the field (He wanted me to hold him, and said he was scared. HA!), he quickly warmed up when he saw his fellow preschool classmate, Ethan, was on the team.

Practice was fairly simple this first day: running back and forth on the field, practicing dribbling and passing (I think those are the terms? I have a lot to learn about soccer! Ha.), and just getting used to being on the field.

The coach is a friend of mine, Kathy (the mom of Ethan), and she does a great job with the kids.

Waylon may not be the star of the team, but he's having fun. And, that's the most important thing at this age, right?

One huge zuc-i-nini

Wow. Our garden is going insane this year. Maybe it's because it's the first year for the garden, and the spot used to be a dog pen. (Gotta love that natural fertilizer!) Regardless, our plants are highly prolific. The tomato plants have grown so large, they've toppled their cages. And, the zucchini plant just won't quit! We found this one after I had been gone a week to Ft. Worth. (Craig forgot to pick the veggies while I was gone. :) ) Waylon loves to check the zuc-i-nini plants, as he calls it. What a fun way to spend time with the boys, checking the garden and finding new treasures every day.

Fantastic ride

Another favorite activity for Nolan is riding in the laundry basket. With our without clothes as fellow passengers, he giggles and squeals as we carry him around the house. Who needs toys? It's the simple things in life when you're 13 months old.

Squeaky clean

Nolan loves his bath time, and I do, too! He loves to splash and play in the bubbles. And, who can resist the scent of a freshly bathed baby. There's nothing better!

His lastest thing is brushing his teeth, on his own. He's so proud that he can do it himself!

Mmmm... ravioli!

What a combination! The other day, I was changing out Nolan's clothes, and pulled out a pair of dress shoes for him to wear this fall and winter. He simply HAD to put them on... right then. He grabbed them, and tried to put them on himself. He's just not QUITE ready for that yet. :) So, I decided to help the little guy out.

It was also dinner time, and I knew with ravioli on the menu, he'd get a bit messy. Little did I know just how messy he'd be! :) Good thing I took off his shirt for this meal. So, there he sat, covered in tomato sauce from head to toe. Well, head to ankle -- his feet were protected by his nice black dress shoes.

Yes, he dressed himself

Can you tell? Shirt tucked into his undies... had on like a gangsta' (And we have NO idea where he got that idea!). He's happy as can be... playing with his favorite "flower" -- a dandelion -- and racing with Chloe, the Basset Hound. :)

Sheep time

I just love watching the boys outside with the animals. I just don't think there's anything better. :)

The boys' favorite toys

Boys and their toys. The other night, Craig came home and told me we needed to head to the shed to see my birthday present. (My birthday's not until August... he said he was planning ahead.) I told him I'd already seen it -- the manure spreader he bought for me this winter. (My husband has a warped sense of humor!) Anyhow... come to find out, he'd gotten this Kawasaki Mule. LOVE it. We've taken the boys on many rides, and we all enjoy this little gift. Plus, it will be very handy for gardening and yardwork. Thanks, honey.

And, notice what's in Nolan's hands -- a halter. He takes that thing EVERYwhere. This boy loves to be outside with the animals. We think we've got a little stockman on our hands. :)

The sheep show

So, I'm sitting here at the Indianapolis Airport, waiting for my flight to Fort Worth for the Agricultural Media Summit. What better time to try to catch up on some blogging that I have so desperately needed to do!? :)

The first week in July, I met up with Craig and the boys at my parents' house. I had been working in Louisville for the National Junior Summer Spectacular, and it was an easy meeting point for 4th of July.

The Gibson County Fair also started that same weekend. Although Craig had to head back to work on that Sunday evening, the boys and I stayed an extra night so that Waylon could participate in the pee-wee sheep show that Monday evening. What an ordeal!

Waylon was excited all day about showing his sheep with mom. We got him all dressed, and headed to the fairgrounds, and his cheering section of Granny, Papaw and Great Grandma Couch assembled. He started climbing all over the bleachers, and within the first 10 minutes, he was covered in dirt. I asked if he could at least stay clean until AFTER the show, and he said, "I'm a cowboy, mom. Cowboys get dirty." Fair enough. How could I argue with that!?

We sat through about 1 1/2 hours of the show, and as they were selecting the champion wether -- the last class before the pee-wee show -- Waylon had decided he was hot and tired, and he wasn't going to show. At the same time, Nolan decided that he was done sitting in the stroller. And, of the four adults there, I was the only one who could hold him. (Mom had just had back surgery, and dad and grandma just aren't able.) SOOOO... the three of us head into the ring.

Through my smile, I'm whispering down to Waylon, "You'd better smile. Hold the halter! If you want to ride rides and play games after this, you'd better smile and hold this halter!"

You'll notice I'm all sweaty, and my glasses are crooked. Nice, eh.

Once it was over, Waylon was rewarded with Skittles and a ribbon. And, boy, was he excited. Papaw Couch was also very proud of his little showman.

Ah, yes... family memories at their finest. But, honestly... it's a great memory. And, I wouldn't trade it for a thing!

Little brother wants in on the action

Nolan loves to be outside. And, he seems to really love the animals. The other day, he picked up the sheep halter, because he saw big brother and daddy using them, and was trying to figure the thing out. He didn't want to put it down, so I figured, what the heck. Bring it inside.

The other night, Waylon and Craig were playing mini-golf again (notice a theme here?), and Nolan and I were playing in the house. He walked to the back door and pointed up to where we hang the boys' caps. He put his on (with mommy's help). He grabbed the halter that he had carried in. Then, he pointed to the back door. How could I turn him down? I took him outside for another visit with the animals before bedtime.


Nolan's new favorite toy.

Checking the "flock" with daddy.

Wanting in on the action.

Sudzin' the sheep

It's been so much fun to watch Waylon and Craig bond during animal chores in the evenings. Waylon seems to really enjoy the chore of washing the sheep. As you can tell, he gets pretty into it! :) Next year, we hope to purchase some show lambs, and give Waylon the chance to have even more of a pay-off for his work.

Lee Family Time

In late June, we attended the Lee Family Reunion at the Wellington Community Park. Craig's grandpa, Ty, was so proud to have so many of his family members there, and he seemed to enjoy spending time with his siblings. Sometimes family reunions may not seem like that much fun for the younger generations, but to know how much it means to the older generation makes it all worth it. :)

Us with Ty and Marge and his siblings.

Grandpa Ty (far right), Grandma Marge (second from right) and Ty's siblings and in-laws.

Waylon loved playing on the big hill at the park. From what Craig and Erika tell me, this is a tradition for kids. They loved playing on that big hill when they were kids, too!

Rolling down the sandhill, rolling down the sandhill, oh. ah. Whee! (Sorry... I couldn't help but bust into a Wiggles song!)