lil' yellow cottage down by the sea...

Jude's Visitors...

2011-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

For us the time in the hospital is always such a sweet time. Being there with Jude brought back so many vivid memories of our first days with Hudson. Even now, when we drive by the hospital, I get butterflies in my stomach because it just brings back so many fond memories. I have said it before, but I really do love being pregnant, giving birth and having children. I just love the whole thing. Anyway, here are a few more pictures and a few more tid bits about our stay at the hospital.

First off, I must say... I love being married to this man. He is the best partner in life, companion, best friend and husband that I could have ever asked for. God was so good to me when he blessed me with Travis:

After Travis and I had some alone time with Jude, all of our family came back into the room to visit and hold Jude:

The next morning, I was up and showered and ready for visitors. I felt great and I probably had a lot more energy than most do after having a baby considering Jude was born in less that 4 1/2 hours of labor. Having a fast labor is fine, but the only thing that concerns me is that the next baby might be born in the car... that would be awful! We keep saying with the next baby we aren't going anywhere and as soon as I have my first contraction we are rushing to the hospital.

Anyway, our friends, Kristin, Mike and "How-ee" (aka Hallee their daughter), were watching Hudson and they brought him to the hospital in the morning so he could meet "baby Jude". (Hudson never says, "Jude"... he always says, "baby Jude".) Trav and I were both so excited to see Hudson and we couldn't wait for him to see his baby brother for the first time.

We had purchased a gift for Hudson "from" baby Jude... a Thomas train. He had really begun to like trains, but we held off on giving him any trains knowing that we were going to give him a train set as something special after the baby was born. When he walked in the room, he really didn't seem to know what was going on. But once we told him baby Jude had something special for him, he got really excited. It didn't take long for him to be completely enthralled with Jude. Hudson was touching Jude's face, holding his hand, smiling at him and he was so excited to get to hold him. And he hasn't stopped... he really already seems to LOVE his brother and I have been so taken back by how nurturing Hudson is.

First pictures as a family of 4!

Hudson opening up his Thomas train:

Kristin, Jude and I:

Jude meeting the Hofschroers for the first time:

My "Danish family" :)

Actually, Lina's parents were here in the states so they came to meet Jude. We were so excited they for them to meet Jude and Lina's mom knitted for me 2 beautiful Danish beanies!

Then we had a surprise visit from Rick Warren and Rick Muchow. Both of them came into the room singing very loudly, the portion of the Beatles song, "Hey Jude". They had seen on facebook that we had the baby and stopped by the hospital for a little visit. They both have very busy schedules and we would never have expected them to stopped by, however, we were so blessed that they took the time to come visit us. It was another moment at the hospital that I will always remember and cherish.

They visited with us and our families for a little bit, held Jude and then they took some time to gather everyone who was there to pray for Jude and our now family of 4. I don't know what else to say about it, but that we really just felt so loved by both of them.

Pastor Rick and Jude:

Another visitor was our friend Mark. He is actually a friend of Travis' family and he lives in Ohio, however, Saddleback hospital is one of his clients so he is constantly flying back and forth. We didn't even know he was in town until he sent the CEO and CFO of the hospital down to our room for a visit. The CEO walked in, introduced himself and said Mark had told him to come pay us a visit. Then later that day Mark came and visited us. It was so great to see him and just feels like a little bit of home for Travis.

And just a few more pictures from our time at the hospital:

Hudson looks like he was very thankful to get to share a little bit of my pumpkin spice latte :)

This is what happens when you get to hang out with your Auntie Summer... She lets you wear your sweat shirt backwards and walk around like a pirate ;)

Here are just a few sweet details from the hospital:

the boys:

Getting ready to head home:

This is the moment it always hits me... It is just such a surreal moment leaving the hospital with a newborn baby. I can't wait to do it again! :)

The story of how Jude came into the world...

2011-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

This just might be the longest post ever.

I am finally getting around to sharing the story of Jude's birth. I must say after hearing that most people have their second babies early, I was expecting that I wouldn't make it to my due date with Jude. So, for the last 2 weeks it felt like everyday I was thinking, "Is today the day?". What made it worse was that 4 weeks before his due date I was already dilated to a 1 and then 2 weeks before his due date I was at a 2 and 30% effaced. However, Jude didn't make his arrival until his actual due date, October 24th. I have since found out that only 4-5% of babies are actually born on their due date!

Anyway, Jude's due date was on a Monday so Travis took off work the weekend before so we could either spend time together as a family or we figured we would be spending time in the hospital. He hasn't had a weekend off were he wasn't leading somewhere or we weren't out of town, since Hudson's birth. Needless to say, we were excited to spend time together as a family. Since I still wasn't in labor on Sunday morning, we decided to make the most of it. We decided to spend the morning walking to the pier to get breakfast.

Last belly picture:

It was a beautiful quiet morning and we just enjoyed conversation with each other and the beautiful view. Travis mentioned at breakfast that ideally he was hoping for me to go into labor that day. However, the only sign of labor were the braxton hicks I had been having for months. They were more uncomfortable and happening more often, but I knew it wasn't labor. On our walk back home, we stopped at the park for a little bit and let Hudson play. It was nice for us to have a little time to focus just on him.

Once we were home, we all took naps and once we woke up, we decided to head to Disneyland for the evening. On our way to Disneyland we picked up Travis' mom who was in town. She hadn't planned on being here for the birth, however, her father's health was declining and he actually passed away a week before Jude was born. We were all sad to have lost such a wonderful man and although the circumstances were unfortunate, we were thankful it allowed for Debbie to be with us for the birth.

Little did I know we were about to have our baby in about 4 hours...

We spent the evening walking around Disneyland and enjoying all of their fall decorations. At this point, I was feeling a little bit more pressure and the braxton hicks were definitely uncomfortable, but still no sign of labor. We then stopped at our favorite place in downtown Disney to eat some beignets. While eating our beignets at around 8:40pm I had my first contraction. I told Travis that it was definitely stronger than a braxton hicks, but I still wasn't sure if I was beginning to go into labor. Travis got a huge smile on his face and was ready to take me to the hospital... haha! I assured him it wasn't time :) With Hudson I had these type of contractions for about an hour each day for 2 days prior to actually having him. I had Hudson in about 11 1/2 hours which is really fast for a firstborn, so I knew to expect this time to be a lot faster (my doctor was guessing 4-6 hours). We headed home and began keeping track of the contractions.

Hud eating a beignet:

By the time we left I had 2 more contractions and they were each about 10 minutes apart. On our 45 minute drive home, they continued to get stronger and were now about 4-7 minutes apart. We dropped off Debbie and headed home knowing that would we see her at the hospital probably sometime within the next 12 hours. Little did we know how quickly Jude would come.

I called our friend Kristin, who was planning on sleeping at our house if I went into labor during the night. I called to gve her a warning that I might be going into labor and I figured she would probably need to come over in the next couple of hours. I was still planning on waiting it out a little bit, but I just wanted to let her know... again, little did I know how quickly things were about to happen.

By the time we got home, Travis put Hudson to bed and I figured I would just call the doctor to see what I should do. I knew I wasn't in active labor because I could talk through the contractions and I remember how painful active labor was. However, my worst fear was missing the window of opportunity to have an epidural.

Being that it was the weekend I knew my doctor wouldn't be in, so I spoke with the doctor on duty. She wanted me to come in immediately to be checked since my labor was so quick with Hudson and because I was already dilated to 2 cm on Friday. I was a little shocked... I seriously thought I was going to have time to shower and labor at home for a while. However, after talking to our doctor I quickly called Kristin who came over to our house within 10 minutes. We grabbed the last few things we needed to throw into our already packed bags took one last belly picture and headed out the door. Everything was beginning to happen so quickly. By this point it was only about 10:30pm and I couldn't believe we were heading to the hospital. I still wasn't convinced they were going to check me in and I didn't want to have my family heading to the hospital if I wasn't going to be admitted. However, good thing my mother knew better, she had my family already getting ready to leave and meet us there.

By the time we were driving to the hospital, the contractions were getting closer and closer and definitely getting more painful. I knew at this point, I was definitely in active labor and I was really looking forward to the ever-so-wonderful epidural. The funny thing is with both my labors I wasn't really in painful contractions until we were in the car. Both times I had to be convinced by the doctor and my husband that I needed to go to the hospital. It must be something about driving there that makes my body get into gear ;) haha!

Anyway, when we arrived at the hospital Travis dropped me off at the front of the entrance while he quickly went to park the car. At this point, I was squatting in the lobby and doing breathing techniques during the contractions. Travis grabbed just the small camera and our video camera. I didn't want him to grab the rest of our stuff in case they didn't admit me. I must have been in denial because I was clearly in labor at this point.

Travis came running in and we had to wait for a nurse to come down with a wheel chair. She then took us up to labor and delivery and by this point... I was in a lot of pain. They had me quickly change and checked me. The nurse asked me what I thought I was at and I figured maybe a 3. Well, I was at a 4 1/2! So, I was definitely getting admitted.

They began drawing blood, putting in an IV all the while I am making sure they are very aware that I really wanted an epidural. Once we were in our room, the nurse said I had to wait until I had a certain amount of the IV fluid in me before the anesthesiologist could give me the epidural. So, we figured it was a good time for Travis to run to the car to get our things... which really all we needed was our big camera. While he was gone, I had to lie on the bed which for me is not comfortable and absolutely an awful position to be in while having contractions. I asked the nurse if I could stand up and squat on the ground, but she assured me the doctor would be there soon and I was already set up to receive the epidural. She asked me if the doctor made it there before Travis was back did I want to wait to get the epidural... to which my reply was NO...haha! However, luckily Travis walked right in after she asked me.

I remember feeling panicked inside thinking that if I didn't get an epidural I didn't know how I could do this. I have no idea how women give birth without medicine... it is absolutely amazing to me. Maybe I have a really low level of pain tolerance or maybe because I knew I was about to have a way out from the pain, but I really felt convinced I couldn't have this baby without medicine.

The anesthesiologist came in and had me sit in a particular position and then I just waited. I remember the epidural being little painful with Hudson, so I was expecting the same feeling. He told me I would feel a little sting and burning which I thought was just the shot to numb the area before the epidural. So, after that...which it really wasn't painful... I just keep waiting for the painful part. Then he asked me if I was starting to feel some relief which I was. I couldn't believe it... the epidural didn't even hurt. It may have been because my contractions were so much more painful with Jude than they were with Hudson. I assume they were worse this time because they came on so quickly and were so much closer together. Plus, I was only at a 3 when I got my epidural with Hudson and I bet I was probably at a 6 or more when I got the epidural with Jude.

After the epidural:)

My family had just arrived and all came into the room to visit. We were beyond excited to meet this little baby and of course, to finally find out if we had a boy or girl. Within no time, the doctor came to check me and they couldn't even tell what I was at because the bag was bulging. They broke my water then checked me to find out I was at a 9 and said it could be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour before I was pushing. The doctor was washing her hands and I told her, I REALLY feel like I need to push now. She checked me again and sure enough... I was at a 10 and she could already feel the baby's head!

While they were prepping things, I asked the nurse if the water was clear. It wasn't... so I knew what to expect. The doctor explained to me there was meconium and she was going to have some specialists come in to suction out the baby's lungs immediately after the birth. She explained that Travis wouldn't be able to cut the cord, but he would be able to cut the remainder of the cord after they took care of the baby. Also, she wasn't going to be able to put the baby on my chest immediately after the birth. I was surprisingly calm, partly because I knew what to expect and partly because I wanted them to do what was best for the baby.

They wanted me to do a few "practice pushes", but thankfully I explained to the doctor that I only pushed for 43 minutes with Hudson and he was face up (when they are face up it is more painful and takes longer... most mom's push anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours with first). Once she realized how fast Hudson came, she told me NOT to push. She checked the position of the baby and the head was down... she could already feel his ear. She immediately called the doctors and specialists who were coming for Jude to rush because the baby was coming. This part was definitely painful. Pushing was painful, but waiting to push when your body is telling you to push is also painful.

As soon as all the doctors were there, they had me start to push. With Hudson, they had me positioned a certain way and had Travis holding my head up. This time they just had me push... Travis didn't know where to help and didn't know what to do. And it all just happened so fast. However, in the midst of the craziness, there is one sweet moment I will always cherish. Seconds before I started pushing, Travis looked down at me and only he could hear me... and I told him, "I think it's a boy!". All of a sudden I just had an overwhelming sense it was a boy. We both just smiled at each other and we couldn't wait to find out. Then after pushing through 1 1/2 contractions... Jude Dawson Collins was born!

For some people who get epidurals, pushing is not painful, however, for me... it is very painful. So, when Jude was born the relief from the pain was so amazing. The pain was over and we were so taken by the fact that the baby was born, it even took us a few seconds to realize we still didn't know what it was. I looked at Travis and asked, "what is it?". The doctor held up our baby and Travis proclaimed, "it's a boy!". To which we all started crying :) Both our moms and my sisters were in the room and it was just such an amazing moment. It just felt so perfect. I don't know how else to explain it, but waiting to find out was definitely worth it. When Travis said it was a boy, it just felt like of course it is! We loved finding out with Hudson for our firstborn, but it was equally as wonderful not finding out with Jude.

Anyway, after only 4 1/2 hours of labor, an epidural and 2 pushes... Jude was born on his due date on October 24th at 1:04am weighing 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. (Side note... several people have asked for comparison what was Hudson's birth weight and height... Hudson was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long and he was born the day after his due date.)

Jude didn't start crying right away, but when he did it totally made me cry. It is such a sweet sound. Thankfully, I couldn't see that they had to give him oxygen. They told me they were, but I have since seen what it looked like on the video and I know that would have been really hard for me to see at the moment. They were able to quickly suction out Jude's lungs and he was totally healthy and perfect. And his apgar score really wasn't much different from a normal score!

Giving Jude oxygen:

Travis loving on Jude while they were waiting for a little bit more color to come in his face:

My sisters, taking video of the entire birth. Brooke made the amazing video that has been posted with her iphone and Summer was the one taking all the pictures during the birth and immediately after.

My mom crying after Jude was born:

After checking him to be sure he was ok, they placed him in my arms. It is at this moment that it feels like your heart has never known such love...
That the reality of this amazing gift begins to sink in
And you know this could only be because of the grace of our Lord.
It is like you can sense the presence of the Lord in a way unimaginable.
The gift of life... from the One who gives life.
He was there with us.
And although we know He is always with us, it is in these precious moments that somehow you know it even more deeply than before.
Such beauty
The perfect addition to our family
A son.

Debbie and Travis watching the nurse hand Jude to me for the first time:

Travis waving the "boy" flag to announce to the rest of the family that we had a boy!

Travis and I both had said that if we could have chosen, we would have chosen to have another son. We wanted Hudson to experience what it is like to have a brother close in age, but we also knew that a sister would be wonderful. And although, we do think it would be wonderful to have a daughter at some point, we just felt it was so perfect that God gave us a son.

Another sweet moment I will always cherish, is when Travis told me what the name Jude Dawson means. We never looked up the meaning of his name, honestly we just chose it because we liked it. However, we know that God knew He was giving us a son and we know that God is the One who put Jude's name on our hearts. Jude comes from the word, Judah and if you go back to the Hebrew to the part of the name Jude is derived, it means, "the Lord is to be praised". And Dawson actually means, "son of David".

When Travis told me, I couldn't help the tears from welling up in my eyes. This whole time I have been pregnant we have been so focused with what God has been doing in our lives in regards to ministry. The month before we found out we were pregnant, Travis signed with Integrity to begin writing worship music for the church. In March, right after we found out I was pregnant, we traveled to Europe to allow Travis to write with Matt Redman and a few other worship leaders. Not to mention, we were just so encouraged by the believers that we met while we were there. And even when I went back to Europe in June, the family I stayed with are a family of musicians... a family with a heart for worship. And literally the days leading up to Jude's birth, Travis was in the studio finishing recording his first album with Integrity. So, it just seemed so fitting that God would give us a son and that his name would have the heritage of worship in the meaning.

Some of our first moments with our sweet Jude...

We are completely overwhelmed by how much we love both our boys. They are our greatest treasure.

Jude Dawson Collins

2011-11-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

Our baby has arrived... and we had a boy!!!! Jude Dawson Collins was born on October 24th at 1:04am weighing 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. He is absolutely amazing and we are so in love!!! I will be blogging some photos and sharing the story surrounding his arrival, but for now here a video my sister, Brooke recorded on her iphone. I still cry every time I watch it...

Untitled from Brooke Hoehne on Vimeo.

priceless gifts...

2011-10-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

sweet hudson,

our first born

the one because of whom we were first given the names, daddy and mommy

the one who changed our lives forever

who taught us how to love more deeply

and because of whom, we have a greater understanding of the Father's love for us...

you are truly a gift from the Lord.

you are loved.

you are cherished.

being the first born

there are different burdens you will bear

but we know God has equipped you for what He has called you to.

your world is about to change

and you are about to receive one of the greatest gifts...

a sibling

this sibling will be a tool the Lord can use to teach you the world is not about you

to help you learn the importance of sharing

to love through anything

how to forgive

how to put others before yourself.

this is just the beginning of all that you can learn...

but, oh the joy you will find in having a best friend who understands you in ways

others never will

a bond only you two will understand.

i knew i would love being a mother,

but i never knew how deep my love would be for you.

a son,

one who brings so much joy into my life.

you are more than i ever dreamed of.

hudson, you are your father's son in so many ways.

you have a heritage.

it seems as though you already have a gift for music,

a passion which many cannot understand.

the bond between you and your father is one of the sweetest things i have ever seen.

i can only imagine it is a glimpse of our Father's love for His Son.

and to think this Son was given, so that we might have life.

we are so undeserving.

hudson, you truly are loved.

Lord, thank you for a gift that we are so undeserving of.

he is yours

and we know we are only stewards of him.

and now our lives are about to change again.

there is so much excitement surrounding the expected arrival of this sweet little one

something sacred about a baby being born

the gift of life

from the only One who gives life

only God knows if this baby is a boy or a girl

only He knows what name shall be given

He has knit you together in my womb,

and with anticipation we wait

to see you

to hold you

to know you

and to continue to love you.

you have been dreamed of

hoped for

prayed for

and loved before you have ever even been known.

The 3 of us...

2011-10-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

As the time draws near for our little baby to join our family, I have been extremely emotional and sentimental about this being the last of the 3 of us. I know the change is going to be for the better and I will look back at this time with a sweet fondness of when we first became parents. And I know I won't be able to imagine life without this little one that we are waiting on, but still, there is a part of me that is soaking in and cherishing every last sweet moment together.

As the due date is around the corner and our schedules have been full, I started praying that God would allow us to have one last day together. Although, we could still have a few more before the baby arrives, at least we had one day where we didn't work and we just enjoyed our family time.

We spent the morning relaxing at home then Hudson and I napped... which was great! After naps, we headed out to the pumpkin patch and later to dinner with a gift card at PF Chang's. It ended up just being one of those days with so many sweet moments together. Travis and I kept looking at each other talking about how thankful we were for the day and how we were going to remember this day.

Hudson waiting in line to ride the train:

I have been known to give this look a time or two... and now my son has inherited the ability.

He was the only kid on the train holding his hands up :)

My sweet boy...

Here comes another cheesy camera smile...

He has always loved riding ponies and seeing the joy he had while riding them... was just so sweet to watch:

And the boat ride... Every time he passed the guy working the ride he would smile and wave. It was really cute:

We were dying laughing watching Hudson "drive" the tractor. He really didn't do much driving. He basically held the gas pedal down and let the tractor run into whatever was in it's path. It was quite entertaining for us, but we felt bad for the guys working the ride:

Travis and Hudson climbing up the slide:

And Hudson coming down the slide by himself. It was actually really steep and I wasn't sure he would want to do it by himself, but he loved it! Uncle Brandon stopped by at the end of our time at the pumpkin patch... just in time to see Hudson go down one last time. Hudson was yelling from the top "Uncle B". He was so proud of what he was doing.

Uncle Brandon and Hudson pretending with the ghosts...

The 3 of us at dinner. This was the part of the night where I kept stepping back and trying to take it all in. I kept thinking I want to remember this night. I want to remember how sweet this time with Hudson is. Life is about to change, but for now, I am just cherishing how life has been.

The beginning of October...

2011-10-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

For years now, it has been a family tradition for my entire family to get together with some of our closest friends and spend a day up in Oak Glenn. Normally, we have a picnic, play flag football or some other sport, eat carmel apples, pick apples, walk around downtown...etc. However, with the craziness of life we weren't able to all go on the same day. So, this year we went with just the Hofschroer family. It was a really fun day and our boys really seemed to have fun together.

I have to say it is crazy how much it has changed in Oak Glenn. We went when I was a kid, but in my college years when we would go it was never nearly as crowded as it is now. But, of course, as more people here about it, the more crowded it has gotten. Luckily, we went early in the day so we missed a lot of the crowds.

Chris and Trav:

My bestie and our boys:

the hofs:

Logan and Hudson:

picking apples:

This face Hudson is making kills us... we have no idea where he got the idea to do this cheesy face, but this is what we have been getting from him lately when we take pictures:

Hudson loved the apples!

After we picked apples, we went to grab some lunch with the Hofscroer's and afterwards our boys loved cooling off by playing in the fountain outside:

After returning from Oak Glenn, Travis and I were able to head out for a date night together. We have been trying to cherish some alone time and some time of reflection on all that God is doing in our lives and the changes that are about to happen as our family goes from 3 to 4. It was a really sweet night together. (Also, at this point, I was a day shy of being 38 weeks pregnant):

A few days later, my sister, Summer and her boyfriend, Bryan took Hudson to Sea World for the first time. Although, we would have loved to join them, I was thankful for the time to get caught up on a little photography work while they had him for the day. Hudson absolutely loved Sea World and is constantly telling me stories about his day there:

Mr. Cool...

Watching for the walruses:

Getting soaked at the shamu show:

Playing with Uncle Bryan:

Feeding fish to the seals:

September

2011-10-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

September was probably the busiest month for us. With a ton of photography work, Travis spending a week in Big Bear recording his first album with Integrity Music and everything else... the month just flew by. However, in the midst of all that we did get to spend a little time at Disneyland together. Hudson is at such a fun age and he now makes request for which rides he would like to go on.

After taking this picture, Hudson told Mickey that he saw him playing the drums. Mickey seemed a little confused until I explained how Hudson saw him play the drums in the parade they have been doing all summer. Once I explained that, Mickey started pretending he was playing the drums with Hudson. It was really cute and Hudson was thrilled:

Hudson got to spend some time with a few of his best friends...

Hudson does not look thrilled about hugging Logan goodbye :) haha

We managed to squeeze in going to an Angels game and it was fun seeing how much Hudson actually enjoyed sitting at watching some of the game. The next day he began throwing his baseball like the pitchers do. He bends over puts his hands behind his back and then proceeds to throw the ball while standing on one leg. I need to post a video, because it is just so cute.

He looks so grown up in this picture:

Hudson has always been so sweet and cuddly... He is such a precious son:

Here I am at 32 weeks pregnant... getting so close:

And we had a very small shower with just family and a few close friends. I didn't want to have big shower since I really don't need much, but I did want to have a time to pray over the baby and to celebrate what God is doing in our lives. The shower was low key, relaxing and a perfect way to step back and soak in this new season of life:

Hudson loved playing with all the other kids there... so much so that he hardly stopped running the entire afternoon. By the end of the day he was one sweaty, dirty little boy:

And of course, because it was so relaxing... we really didn't even take many pictures until most everyone had left and we were all a little worn out from the day. Note to self... take pictures before an event starts.

My sister, Brittany was there too, but again because we took them so late in the day she had already left.

Here are a few pictures of Travis and the guys in the studio. I have heard little bits and pieces of some of the recordings and it really seems like God is doing something amazing with these guys. We can't wait for the release of the album which should be sometime this spring!!! : )

While Travis was away recording, I really tried to soak in and enjoy some one on one time with Hudson. So, one of the afternoons we spent time together just painting.

And Hudson also got some one on one time with my mom. She took him to Disneyland for the day while I was busy with an all day photo shoot. Hud came home with the Buzz gun... and still talks about that day at Disneyland:)

And ending the month out at 36 weeks pregnant... Still can't believe we are going to be a family of four very soon!!!!

August

2011-10-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the highlights from August:

We were given a gift certificate for a gondola ride in Newport Beach and it made for such a fun double date with the Davis'!

Travis' 28th birthday was on August 3rd and he just wanted a mellow evening with a few friends. We had a few of his close guy friends over and they barbecued and sat around the fire pit outside. Meanwhile, Hudson and I hung out and made his birthday cake:

Hudson put all the candles in the cake... he was quite proud:

We also went to event to celebrate the life of our friend, Brandon Pentz who passed away just a year ago. It was a fundraiser supporting different charities and really was such a fun day. They had a lady doing face painting for the children and Hudson loved it. It was his first time getting this done and out of all the things she could have painted he picked out the pirate. He is quite obsessed with pirates and the pirates of the caribbean ride. It is not unusual to often hear him singing, "yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me".

He still talks about when he had a pirate face.

London was a kitty and they both were loving having their faces painted:

Eating cotton candy with Auntie Britt:

One afternoon Hudson and I met Emily downtown Laguna Beach for a lunch date. She is one of our favorites ;)

And as summer weather would have it, we spent more time at the beach:

These are some of our favorite times together:

I was about 31 weeks pregnant in these photos:

Travis always has been such an amazing dad... I love to step back and just watch him with Hudson. He loves him so deeply:

Our sweet boy:

Then at the end of August we took a camping trip down to San Diego with my dad and step mom. We were going to rent an RV, but then my dad invited us to just go in his... so it saved us money and really was just so much fun.

Hudson had to ride in his car seat while we were driving, but while we were waiting to park in our spot he was enjoying the view from the front seat on Travis' lap:

Right away we ran down to the water and he immediately began playing:

We went paddle boarding with Hudson. At first we did it sitting, but after Hudson got comfortable we were able to stand an paddle board. So, the 3 of us headed out to the middle of the bay enjoying all of God's creation.

What is vacation without ice cream?

We also rented wave runners which was one of my favorite things we did. I grew up boating and riding wave runners, so it was so fun to see the tradition continue with my son. I have very distinct memories of sitting on a wave runner with my dad :)

And yes, at 7 months pregnant I rode the wave runner, but we went so slow we weren't hitting any waves. It really was more of a casual ride ;)

There was a Johnny Cash cover band at the campground we stayed at so after our barbecued dinner we took our chairs and headed down to enjoy the music:

After Hudson warmed up a little bit, we couldn't get him off the dance floor:

What do you do when you are away from your drum set for several days... well, you create one:

Enjoying a morning stroll along the water's edge:

Feeding the ducks pancakes... because ducks love pancakes :)

And lastly, here are 2 pictures of London and Hudson. We went out to dinner with the Davis' after we took their family pictures. Hudson and London play so well together and really love each other. In the last photo, they are doing "cheers" with each other :)

And here are a few fun videos of Hudson singing "gibberish" one morning (a microphone is still a "doo doo" even though he can say microphone):

July

2011-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun Natalie's masquerade party celebrating her graduation from her master's program. It was such a fun night and such an amazing accomplishment for Natalie! In this photo we are both are almost 24 weeks along:

Hudson enjoys all things boy... like getting dirty and sticking hay in your mouth :)

We had a wonderful 4th of July. We had some good friends over, played at the beach, walked back to our house for a bbq, then headed back down to the beach to watch the fire works, and back to our house to roast smores and "bread on a stick" (a danish tradition).

Hudson does this ALL the time... he constantly says "two hugs" and grabs both Trav and I to give us hugs. He is extremely affectionate and such a sweet boy. I have said it before, but I absolutely love having a son:

Walking down to the beach after dinner for the fireworks show:

Hudson with a few of his best buddies:

The crew:

As I am writing this, Natalie and I are only 9 days away from our due date. Looking at all the pictures of us pregnant together really reminds me of what a sweet blessing it has been to have such a good friend to be pregnant with :)

Lina made the dough for our "bread on the stick" roasting:

It was delicious! The bread actually rises as you slowly cook it over the fire. It really allows time to just sit and talk versus how quickly you can roast a marshmallows. Once the bread is cooked you put butter or jam on it and it is amazing!!!

Hudson and I spent some time with Emily and Jackson down at baby beach a few times. It is fun to see our boys friendship develop:

Then of course, what time is better than the summer to create new fun games. This was a basically a huge slide for his cars:

More time at the beach:

Travis used to go to baby beach as a kid, so it was fun continuing the tradition and taking Hudson there to play:

Then for my 29th birthday we took our bikes to Balboa Island and rode them down the peninsula, took the ferry across to the island, got some famous ice cream, took the ferry back, played at the park at the beach and then off to dinner at one of my favorites... Spaghetti Factory:

This is right in front of the Harborside Pavilion at the end of the peninsula which happens to be the place where our wedding reception was 6 years ago!

And again the pavilion is in the background:

Then for our 6th anniversary Trav and I headed to Palm Springs for a couple of days. We got a great deal on our room because we shot a wedding at this hotel last year and they used some of our photos for advertisements for weddings at their hotel. So, they gave us a great price and upgraded the room when we got there! We had a such a wonderful time that we both cherish... sweet moments and conversations and time to refocus and to reflect on all that God is doing and has done in our lives.

Then at the end of July, I got to go to the annual CBU girls reunion. There are 8 of us who have been getting together since we graduated and it is something we all look forward to all year long.

We always start the weekend out with a really good meal and we end up staying up way too late talking, laughing and just enjoying each other.

This year we were only missing our sweet friend, Sarah. We are hoping next year to have perfect attendance :)

A night out to dress up and eat a delicious meal:

Sweet little Brayden was our chaperon:

And again, we just enjoyed more time at the beach:

I just love this photo below. There is something about the freedom of a child that is so refreshing. A big field + pretending like you are flying = childhood at it's best

June

2011-10-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well, with our baby due in just 11 more days, I figured I would just do a long post for each month of the summer. I didn't blog much this summer, but since I plan on printing our blog out for our family I decided I should just post a few ridiculously long posts to catch up.

First up, the month of June.

I actually did go to Denmark... although, I haven't posted a single picture of myself there. It really was an amazing trip for me and so refreshing on so many levels including spiritually. I traveled with our friends Eric and Lina and stayed with Lina's family while I was there. They treated me like family and I was so blessed to be in their company.

It was hard to leave Hudson for 10 days especially since the first time I had left him over night was only a few months before, however, after Travis and I prayed about it we really felt like this was a really good thing for me. The hardest part was actually saying goodbye to him. I was crying and had a knot in my throat all while trying to hide it from Hudson. He wouldn't understand and I didn't want to make it harder on him.

I hit another tough moment when after being gone for about 3 days, Hudson woke up in the night crying and told Trav, "mommy back". I lost it when I heard that. Of course, I began questioning everything, but then I came back to the realization that Hudson is the Lord's. He always has been and always will be. It really was a great opportunity for him to bond with Travis even more than he already is and with all his grandparents and aunts and uncles who helped watch him while I was gone.

Anyway, here are a few photos from my trip.

Doesn't this little street look exactly what you imagine a European street to look like? I have traveled all across Europe, but I must say Denmark is towards the top of my list. It now has such a special place in my heart. Most people don't know where Denmark is, so give you an idea it is about a 6 hour drive north of Paris:

We were all exhausted when this was taken since it was the day after the wedding weekend festivities (remember their weddings last until 3:00am). In this photo are Lina and Eric (who we shot their wedding last summer after they found us online and since have become really good friends), Lina's sister, Nana & her husband Rune (whose wedding I shot while I was there) & their parents, Klau & Mai.

One day while we were there, we traveled to their summer house that is along the coast and spent some time touring around. All the homes have grass growing on the roofs to blend the houses in with the landscape around. It was like a little hobbit town and just so beautiful!

It was really windy!

Lina and I:

This food was amazing and all fresh since we were right on the coast:

At the wedding, there were a few of us who were pregnant. The other two girls have since had their babies :)

Outside of the gorgeous mansion where we stayed for the wedding weekend and where the cake reception was:

Before I went to Denmark, Travis and I were sitting in the doctor's office waiting to hear our baby's heartbeat. Trav was reading through a magazine and came across an article on the best food/drinks in the world. Well, one of the places that was listed was Coffee Collective in Copenhagen which I was going to. So, Trav begged me to go and check it out. I don't like really strong coffee, so although I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite. I know however, Travis would have LOVED this place. Hopefully, someday we will get to go back together. They roast their own beans right their in the coffee shop. I brought some home to share with Travis. :) They have been chosen as best roasted coffee in the world.

Drinking the famous coffee:

Eric and Lina:

Lina and her brother, Mads and I on a boat about to have a tour of Copenhagen:

We went to the royal palace and of course, I had to take a picture of the guards:

We saw an outdoor ballet and at the world's oldest theme park. It was so much fun and again, I am always amazed at the history and culture in Europe:

Eric, Lina, Mads and his girlfriend, Cetta (who I just love) and me at the theme park:

The guard gave me his hat to take a picture...haha... I guess I look pretty American:

Having breakfast together before we headed out for a day of touring in Copenhagen:

One of our last days there, we went to Cetta's apartment to have breakfast together and then headed out for a day of shopping :)

And I ate gelato ice cream! I haven't had good gelato ice cream since I was in Italy in college. I was really excited :)

We definitely had fun shopping together :)

More coffee and fresh bread... I miss all the amazing bread we had while I was there.

And I just thought this stroller was so cute. Almost everyone in Denmark pushes strollers like these:

Then when I returned home from Denmark, my in laws were in town visiting. It was so great to see them and of course, to be with Hudson and Travis again. When I came home from the airport it was late at night and I ran in to grab Hudson out of his crib. He just looked at me and fell asleep again on my shoulder. After holding him for a while, I laid him back down and did a little unpacking. Then I went and grabbed him to bring him in bed with us. At this point, he woke up and just kept hugging and kissing me and saying, "mommy back". He held on so tight and cuddled all night long. We did skype while he was gone which really made it a lot easier, but it was just so sweet to be with him again.

While they were here we spent a day at Disneyland:

Also, during the month of June we had a visit from one of my good college friends, Shannon and her 2 kids. They live up north so it is always a treat when we get to see them:

Hudson and Brooke turned the living room into a gigantic chaotic mess. They seemed to love every moment :)

An attempt to get a picture with all three kiddos:

We also spent an evening with my sister and some of the Rwandan students from CBU who were camping here in San Clemente.

Hudson loved the tent :)

We took several family bike rides, which often ended up at breakfast downtown at the bagel shack.

We spent a lot of time at the beach together:

June turned out to be a great month, busy, but wonderful.

Simple Joys

2011-09-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we opened up the stroller we got for Hudson to "share" with the baby. Although, he liked the stroller (especially since it has a "skateboard" on the back), I think he liked the big box even more:

There is nothing like getting to wrestle with dad:

Hudson is not normally allowed to sit or stand on the table, but he knows that only when daddy or uncle B are here then he came jump off of it onto them.

I love watching Hudson and the simple things in life that bring him so much joy.

A few touches of summer and some random photos of Hudson...

2011-09-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the summer photos. Here are a few random photos of Hudson and a few photos of the decorations that have brought touches of summer into our home.

We are definitely into making funny faces now:

One thing that I love about having a white couch is all the fun pillows and decorations that go great with it. Plus, if my couch gets dirty, I just throw it in the wash with some bleach and it is as good as new!

I love having flowers in our home and the cheapest way I have found to do this is with Trader Joe's $1.99 or $3.99 flower bouquets:

And for those of us who struggle with a green thumb these succulents are great (although I have been known to even kill succulents):

Thanks to the inspiration from my friend, Rachel, I made these to add a little bit of summer:

We hung this old stain glass window which was a nice little touch:

Summer time has been filled with lots of fun and exploring. Some of the fun has including fort-making:

Hudson is still quite obsessed with his drums, but he also loves all different kinds of musical instruments:

And of course, we have spent as much time as we can down by the beach... even if it is just a walk down to the water after dinner. This particular night Uncle Brandon joined us:

Fun in the park... Uncle Brandon and Trav teaching Hudson how to pretend to be an airplane:

I think he caught on rather quickly:

Update on baby #2...

2011-09-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well, as I begin to go through all our photos from this summer (since I really haven't posted all summer long), I figured I should start out with an update on the little one that we are expecting in just 6 weeks from now! Last I blogged, we still hadn't decided if we were going to find out the gender of our baby.

When we had Hudson we definitely knew we wanted to find out and we didn't want to just find out at the doctor's office. So, after some research and one idea giving to the next, we came up with having a cake party to reveal the gender of our baby. You can see the photos here and the video here. It really was so much fun and a day we will never forget. And it has fun to see friends and friends of friends who have since done the same thing to find out what they were having... and even a few have put a little twist on it.

Anyway, I think with the first baby it was really nice to know what we were having, but Trav and I have both said we have always thought it would be fun to not find out. We went back and forth, weighing out the pros and cons to finding out and not finding out. The day before our 20 week ultrasound, we finally decided not to find out.

We had the ultrasound technician print out the photos that reveal the gender and place them in an envelope, so that we could have them for a keep sake. A lot of people are surprised that we haven't been tempted to look, but because we decided we didn't want to know it isn't a temptation at all. After the ultrasound, the reality that we were going to have to wait several more months really started hitting us, but once we made it to about 24 weeks it really hasn't been hard at all.

We are beyond excited for this baby and we can't wait to finally find out what God has blessed us with. We absolutely love having a son and we would love to have another son. The bond between brothers, especially those who are close in age is just so sweet. But, then we also know that it would be fun to have a girl. However, since we are hoping for a big family, we really don't feel like this baby has to be a girl or we will never have a girl.

So, with that said, we are anticipating both. Some days I dream about having a daughter and other days I dream about having a son. It actually has been more fun that I thought it would be not to know what we are having. We have both a girl name and a boy name picked out, so it is just a matter of time before we know who it has been that we have been praying for these last several months.

Everyone always asks what I feel like we are having and I really don't have much of an answer. In the beginning, I really thought it was a girl, but the second half the pregnancy I really think it is a boy. I have had dreams about both and so, I really just don't know. My pregnancies have been very similar, the only difference being I was sick for about 4 weeks longer with this baby. At this point, I have gained the exact amount of weight so far with this baby as I did with Hudson, although, I just gained it a lot faster before I finally started slowing down a few weeks ago.

I had a really great birth experience with Hudson and I actually enjoyed it! :) I know that things could be totally different with this baby and I am beginning to pray more specifically about it as we get closer to my due date. However, I must say, I am just as excited to hold this baby as I was with Hudson, but I do have additional butterflies in my stomach knowing that when this sweet baby finally makes an appearance that I will get to hear my husband say boy or girl! I can't wait!!!

The picture below is of our baby's face at 20 weeks. Our ultrasound technician surprised us and turned the ultrasound to 3D. We never had a 3D ultrasound with Hudson, so it was fun to see how clearly we could see the baby. Some people think based on this picture it is a boy...

The day of the ultrasound at 20 weeks:

23 weeks:

Our good friends are expecting their second baby and due on the same day as us... here is Natalie and I at her masquerade party celebrating the completion of her master's! We are both about 24 weeks:

25 weeks:

27 weeks:

31 weeks:

33 weeks:

And here are a few photos our amazing brother-in-law Trever took of us when I was almost 33 weeks:

We can't wait to see Hudson as a big brother and we have really begun to pray for him with this transition. Siblings are one of the greatest gifts and a tool God uses to teach us in so many different areas. I know there may be a few tough days for Hudson as he begins to share his time with the baby, but the gift he is receiving in exchange is priceless:

Sometimes it feels like this pregnancy has gone by so fast, but then other times it feels like forever. When I think about the fact that I have been pregnant since January, been to Europe twice and all the craziness life has brought... it seems like I have been pregnant a long time. However, now I am beginning to feel the pressure that the baby will be here in approximately 6 weeks! I have a ton of editing to get done from different weddings we shot this summer, 2 more weddings to shoot, an engagement session and a ton of family sessions all to be done before the baby gets here.

In addition to the photography work, I need to actually wash the car seat cover, baby clothes (those that I have which are gender neutral) and I wanted to get Christmas shopping done too! Thankfully, my mom is going to help me accomplish my ridiculous "to do" list... and maybe I need to get a little realistic with what things are most important to get done. Not to mention the fact that Travis is back in the studio (finally) trying to finish up recording his first record with Integrity music! Needless to say, we would covet your prayers as we try to tackle all that is on our plate and as we prepare for our family to transition from a family of 3 to a family of 4!

bad-mom-moment-of-the-century...

2011-09-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I had a first. A first and hopefully the last. Here's the story...

After finishing grocery shopping yesterday, I grabbed a pumpkin spice latte and headed to the car with Hudson. I was so excited to indulged in such a wonderful treat that I decided to document it with a photo. When I got to the car I got Hudson out and set him on the passenger seat with my bag so I could dig out my phone to take a picture. After we innocently took our picture, I set the phone down and began unloading the shopping cart. This is where I went wrong...

In normal circumstances, I always get Hudson out first and immediately strap him in so I don't have to worry about him while I am unloading. However, in this case because I was standing right next to him I let him play in the front seat (he often does this while we are sitting parked waiting for whatever the reason may be). So, he climbed in the driver seat and was pretending he was driving. Seriously, at this point... no big deal. I am 2 feet away, unloading my stuff into the passenger seat, watching him and talking to him. I knew he had the keys in his hand, but again... I was right there.

So, once the passenger seat was filled (with my eye still on Hudson), I quickly closed the front door while having my hand on the back door to open it at the same time. Then as I had the door half way open (still latched but almost pulled open) I heard a beep.

Yes, a beep.

I knew what this meant. In a matter of seconds, in a sequence of perfect timing that might almost be impossible to duplicate, my son had locked the car doors with the remote on our keys. Of course, with himself, my wallet and phone all locked inside... and yes, the back door was still slightly latched. I quickly being to feel a sense panic rushing through my veins.

I pulled and pulled at the back door. Hoping to get it to open... which made me realize that when you are driving with your door slightly ajar, there really is no way to open it without using the handle. I then proceeded to try to convince my 2 year old to push the button again on the key chain. Mind you, he was as happy as a clam. With a big smile on his face, completely unaware of the severity of the situation, he looks down at the keys and just smiles back at me.

I went on to tell him to push the button by the shoe, because we have a small rainbow sandal keychain on our keys. Well, once I said shoe, he started looking down at his shoes, then again looked right back at me with a big smile. I was then coming to grips with the fact that my son probably was not going to be talked into pushing the appropriate button.

With not wanting to leave the side of the car, I saw a nice looking man pull up in his car in front of us and in a frantic mess I began to quickly explain what happened and begged for him to get a manager from inside the store for help. I know that sometimes stores actually have a tool they can use to unlock doors and I was hoping for this to be the case. The man, who I later learned his name was John, clarified with this obviously-pregnant-and-panic-stricken-lady-whose-2-year-old-is-locked-in-her-car-with-her-phone-keys-and-wallet, that the best option would be to call Triple A.

I went on to explain that I do have roadside assistance with my insurance company but all the information is locked in my wallet in the car. So, this nice man offered to call from his phone and to use his Triple A card to make the phone call. I was seriously soooo thankful! He proceeded to call and I meanwhile continued to try to convince Hudson to push the button on our key chain.

Once the tow truck was on it's way and we were told it would be about 15 minutes (probably the longest 15 minutes of my life), John said he was going to run into the store, but as soon as they called when they were close he would come right out.

So, this is where the fun continues. John goes in the store and I stand outside of my car with a shopping basket half full of groceries, knocking on the window and talking to Hudson while I watch him thoroughly enjoy playing and exploring the car. At one point, he had his hand on the gear which of course, freaked me out. I imagined him putting the car into nuetral and watching my son and the car roll away. He tried to put the key in the ignition, but thankfully he was doing so with the house key instead of the car key. I was praying for God to intervene, thinking about what a foolish decision I had made all while instructing Hudson not to touch the gear and not to put the keys in the hole.

Thankfully, he listened and decided to crawl back into the back seat. At this point, he was playing with the latch on his car seat and tried to latch it himself. Then he came over to the back door where I was standing and smiled and tapped on the window. I then asked him to try to open the door... which he has never done before. But, after showing him from the outside to pull the latch, he tried it... and yet, it still wouldn't open! I then began to tell him to push the red button hoping the lock button looked red and if it did that he would be able to push it. He tried opening it a few more times, but then he found coins in the side door (which I had no idea were even there).

So, the fun continued for Hudson. With so much joy in his face with his new found treasure, he immediately climbed back into the front seat and proceeded to put the coin in the cassette player. I knew what he was going to do, because he has tried putting small things in the cassette player before. I coached him out of this decision, so he decided maybe the air vent would be a better option... NO!!! I again convinced him not to put the coin in the vent when he decide that yes, yes the cassette player would be the best option for a new home for this little coin. And so, the coin went in.

At this point, I am hoping the coin in our cassette player is the worst of the consequences. Mind you strangers are walking by and starring as I am standing alone next to our grocery cart outside of our truck talking very loudly to Hudson inside the truck. Talk about embarrassing. Oh and the guy gathering the carts, even offered to help me finish unloading my cart. Anyway, after Hudson discovered the joy of putting a coin in it's new found home, he quickly climbed back into the back seat to grab yet another coin. And yes, he gave this coin a new home in the cassette player as well.

Still waiting for the tow truck and for John to come back, the fun continues. Hudson looks at me smiling and picks up my coffee that I had set in the cup holder. He picked it up with one hand by the lid of the cup. I of course, told him to take two hands and put it back. He listens, only to pick it up again. Now I am thinking about how it is going to spill coffee all over him (although, I knew it probably wasn't very hot at this point), but I was imagining the coffee spilling all over him and the interior of our truck that we are wanting to try sell in the next couple of months. I again told him it was coffee and hot and to use two hands to put it down. He listened again (thankfully) and went back into the drivers seat to pretend he was driving.

About this time, John comes out and I see the tow truck pulling up. Hudson still completely unaware of what was going on and continues to play. As the tow truck man is walking towards me about 2 parking spaces away, Hudson climbed into the passenger seat and OPENED THE DOOR!!!!

I could not believe it. After all of that, he just opened the door. I profusely thanked John and the tow truck man for their help. Gathered my sanity and strapped my son into his car seat.

Never again will I do anything other than strap him in BEFORE unloading the car.

At one point, John said how quickly kids grow up and this will just be a story to tell. I knew he was right, but I almost burst into tears. I just couldn't believe I let something like this happen. I have heard about these kinds of stories, but normally I am pretty cautious. Goes to show, you can't control everything and life just happens.

When I finally got a hold of Travis (who was in a studio all day recording), he couldn't believe what happened. After hearing that we were fine the first question he had was, did you get the coins out of the cassette player? Yes, yes I did. I just used a few long wooden skewers I had in the kitchen and guided them out.

So, we are safe. The car is fine. And I now have learned my lesson. Someday I will tell Hudson this story and remember the truth of what John said... these kids will grow so quickly, this will one day just be a story.

The token picture of the coffee that began all the madness...

Classic Moments...

2011-08-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

An easy 4 step guide on "how to shave your baby face"...

Step 1: observe your daddy carefully:

Step 2: examine the necessary utensils:

Step 3: be sure to make the proper face:

Step 4: Success!

Denmark

2011-08-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

I will be posting on my trip to Denmark with stories and pictures, but if you would like to check out some my work from the wedding I shot out there in June be sure to check out our website :) I will be posting photos every day this week.

And I do plan on posting about all our summer activities and things God has been doing in our lives. However, we are really busy with wedding season, summer vacations and just trying to enjoy the last few months with just little Hudson and this gorgeous summer weather before baby #2 joins our family.

Here is just a little sample...

Travis' 28th Birthday!!!

2011-08-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

I know it has been almost 2 months since I have blogged, but I just haven't made it a priority with all the traveling we have been doing in the midst of enjoying this beautiful summer weather and keeping up with all the weddings we are shooting this summer. However, today is a great day to rejoin the blogging world, because today is Travis' birthday!

I am so thankful for a man who has such a strong work ethic and who doesn't settle for living average. He is always striving to become more like Christ and he is so driven to encourage the church to be the bride that God has called us to be. He is an amazing father to Hudson and really lives and loves so selflessly. He has a backbone which is rare to find sometimes in guys these days. He really is the man of our house and I am often so overwhelmed by the love he has for us. I have learned so much about our Father's love by being loved by Travis. He is insanely talented not only as a musician or as a song writer, but he has the gift of being good at anything he puts his mind to.

Travis, Hudson and I love you so much and we are beyond blessed that God has allowed us to be a part of your life. Thank you for being the man that you are!

And a message from Hudson:

Family Vacation

2011-06-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we had the chance to go on a family vacation with my 3 sisters, their guys and my mom and step dad. We rented a little cottage right on the ocean and just enjoyed a very relaxing laid back vacation. We relaxed on the beach, played games, ate a ton of amazing food, took Hudson to the park and just enjoyed each other's company. It was really nice to get away and just be with family. Here are a few photos (I stole a few photos from my sister's blog):

look at that form :) haha:

And of course, what is vacation without ice cream:

Taylor and Summer are AMAZING cooks and we all were so thankful for their talents:

This was Trever's contribution in the kitchen. Brooke wasn't there to see this, so I had to take a picture to prove that he was indeed cooking in the kitchen:

We had several nights of bonfires, coffee and smores:

Hudson and Uncle Tay Tay:

Playing games:

Taylor and Trever getting cozy:

And one really weird picture of Trever...

Hudson had a lot of fun with everyone :)

Ministers' Wives Retreat

2011-06-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Jenness Park in Northern California to help lead worship with my friend from college, Merea. The retreat was for the ministers' wives of the Southern Baptist Convention, so there were women from all over the state of California.

I have a few friends from college who have always asked if I was going, but I have never been able to make it. I was really excited to be able to go this year and it was so much fun catching up with other CBU alumni who are serving at other churches across the state. We took a CBU girls picture, but I didn't have my camera, so I have will have to get it later. There were about 20 of us there!

Merea and I have played and sang together all through college and we lead worship together for a women's retreat about 3 years ago. It was sooo great getting to spend time with her again and I just love her voice and her heart for the Lord. It was so refreshing to get quality time with her.

Then there is Noemy. All I can say is that she is amazing. She is from Spain and has studied violin in conservatories throughout her life. This week she is actually at Juilliard University playing for a special event that only amazing violinist are invited to. She is the kind of musician that when you hear her play, you can't help but to cry. Merea and I kept looking at each other just laughing at how amazing she was. Merea would sing a line for her and Noemy could instantly play it back on her violin. I could go on and on, but seriously probably one of the most talented musicians I have ever played with. And she her heart for the Lord is just as sweet. I am so glad to call her a friend :)

There were a few of us who were pregnant, so of course, we had to get a picture ;)

Some of my favorite people...

About a week before the retreat, Chaundel, who is one of the Ministers' Wives at our church contacted me to see if I was going to the retreat. She had seen my name on the list, but wasn't aware that I was going to play piano. Come to find out, she was the speaker! It was great to spend a little time with her and she did a amazing job speaking!

In college, I played piano for the worship team and even for a couple of years when Trav was the worship leader. However, since we have been married I have been involved in other ministries at church. So, it was really fun to get a chance to play again and it really made me value my husband even more. I think I just get used to how talented he is and to his genuine and sincere heart for worship. Being a part of leading again, just made me realize even more the calling that God has placed on Travis' life.

Mother's Day

2011-06-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

I am still about a month behind, but on my way to catching up :) For mother's day this year, it started out by receiving two really sweet cards from Travis and Hudson... and the news that Travis was going to take me shopping for some clothes. Being that I was beginning to grow out of my wardrobe, I was really excited to get some things that would fit.

The three of us at church:

At the end of the last song, Hudson was able to crawl up into Uncle B's lap and pretend he was playing piano with the band:

Then of course, the weekly tradition of playing the drums after the service:

Here is a picture of me with my baby #2 belly... I was 16 weeks along and the best part about Mother's day was that I felt the baby kick for the first time!!!

I wanted to go to Friday's for dinner because they have a really great deal going on and I was craving one of their brownie obsessions. I was a waitress at Friday's through my college years and we all used to love their food. Unfortunately, the food was not as good as I remembered.

Hudson was not too thrilled about going out that night... and you can totally tell in this picture...haha

The following day we just wanted to spend the day together, so we went to Disneyland. Hudson has never been afraid of the characters and loves the chance to get to see them up close:

Travis took Hudson on the cars ride for the first time. We didn't realize, but he has been tall enough for a long time now and could have ridden this ride a while ago. Now that I am pregnant I can't go on this ride, but it was fun watching the boys.

And here is just a cute video of Hudson on the way back to our car to head home.

I am so thankful to be a mom and I don't take it for granted. I always knew as a child that I wanted to be a mom and wife... and so far this is my favorite season of life.

Hudson's Birthday Party

2011-06-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

For Hudson's 2nd Birthday party we decided to incorporate everything he loves... family, little friends, the beach, the birds, swings, a slide, delicious food and of course, a bonfire. What else could a 2 year old ask for? :) We had a beach barbeque with family and a few of our closest friends. The weather was amazing and it was just a really relaxed time enjoying the company of those who came to celebrate the life of little Hud bud.

After the bonfire, we headed back to our house for coffee and to spend a little more time together in the warmth of our home. Hudson was able to play his drums for everyone and he loved every moment.

Here are a few photos our festivities:

Funny side note: We didn't realize it until later that night, but all these girls were my bridesmaids in my wedding. we were only missing my sister-in-law (who is in Ohio) and my sweet friend Ally (who was running a women's retreat that weekend). I am really thankful that they are all still in my life:

Hudson's 2nd Birthday {part 2}

2011-06-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

On Hudson's birthday, we spent the morning together at home, made breakfast and got ready to head to Disneyland. We later realized our passes were blocked, so instead we were going to head to the pool. However, Hudson's drum set came in the mail just in time to open them after his nap. He was thrilled to say the least. After a straight 2 1/2 hours of playing them and after getting blisters on both hands, we peeled him off his drum set and headed out for dinner.

Here is a video of Hudson playing his drums for the first time:

We decided to head to Farrell's to get dinner and of course, ice cream to celebrate his birthday:

He wasn't too sure when they gathered around to sing happy birthday, but once the ice cream and candle where placed in front of him he was quite pleased.

That night Hudson fell asleep holding his new set of "big" drum sticks :)

We had a wonderful day reminiscing about the day Hudson came into our lives. What a wonderful son he is and a blessing he is in our lives!

April 26th, 2009:

April 26th, 2010:

April 26th, 2011

Hudson's 2nd Birthday {part 1}

2011-06-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hudson's 2nd birthday was on April 26th and we still can't believe how quickly the last 2 years have flown by. It is just amazing to watch how much he has learned in the last year. From being a tiny infant, to crawling, walking, running, talking, jumping, climbing and even being potty trained. It astounds us how quickly children learn and absorb the world around them. Hudson has been such a blessing to us and we are continually thankful for the gift of Hudson in our lives.

For his birthday we ended up spending about 3 days celebrating. The day before Hudson's birthday Travis had the day off, so we spent the day at the beach eating a picnic lunch and chasing birds. Then on our way home we stopped at Hudson's favorite park. Later that evening we went back to the beach and ate dinner on the pier. Hudson's favorite part of dinner was the huge mud pie we ordered for him after dinner. Hudson loves ice cream, so it was like a dream come true having so much ice cream in front of him.

Our picnic lunch consisted of the left overs from Easter lunch the day before and it made for delicious left overs :)

Here is just a video of Hudson chasing the birds... not much to it... but his Ohio grandparents would appreciate it:

Before dinner we took Hudson on the pier to take a few quick photos of him. The first couple of poses is what Hudson does when is trying to "scare" you :)

I remember when Trav and I were praying about taking the job at Saddleback and moving to San Clemente, we stood on the pier looking out like this and spent time praying together. It is amazing to look back and see all the things God has done in nearly the last 5 years. So, this picture is sweet to me to see our son looking out on the water in the same spot:

Then dinner at Fishermen's on the pier:

And of course, the ice cream!!!

It was just a sweet simple day spent together enjoying our time as a family.

Easter

2011-06-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a really long post of our Easter fun. With Travis leading worship for 7 or 8 services (I can't remember the exact amount), we did the traditional Easter activities on Saturday. We started off by giving Hudson his Easter basket and then headed to the park with our friends, the Greenwoods, for a city sponsored egg hunt.

Hudson played on the slide with his friends while we waited for the egg hunt to start and we even had a chance to let him see a few of the animals at the petting zoo.

Emily and Jackson with Hudson and I:

Such a sweet boy:

This is what it looked like before the chaos began:

Once the egg hunt started, I couldn't help but laugh at all the moms who went rushing to grab as much as they could for their children:

Hudson was thrilled to get a package of animal cookies:

Then we headed to the Bagel Shack to get bagel sandwiches and back to the house to color eggs:

We didn't control Hudson's experience, so this is what we ended up with... a few broken eggs :) But, he sure had fun doing it:

On Saturday night, Travis was able to lead worship with a group of worship leaders from all over the county for an event hosted by Rock Harbor Church at the Amphitheater with the intent of gathering churches from the county to pray for our area. It really was an amazing night and Francis Chan was the speaker. I didn't take any pictures that of the night except for this picture from my phone of Francis. It was such a great night of believers gathered together to worship and pray.

This picture was taken during the few minutes we saw Travis on Easter. His Sunday mornings start at 3:30am and since he played for several services all day he wasn't able to join us for the Easter lunch we had at my sister's house. He is definitely a hard worker and we are so thankful that God has allowed Travis to use his talents to encourage the church. So, this is just part of what God has called us to.

Hudson, Trav and Uncle Brandon reenacting this photo from Christmas:

At my sister's house, we had an amazing meal and Hudson had another egg hunt in her backyard.

Although, all the Easter festivities are fun, the most important thing to teach our son is why we celebrate Easter. We constantly pray for Hudson's salvation and that God would make him aware and convict him of his sin, so that one day he might recognize his need for Jesus in his life. Once he makes this choice in life, there will be so much more depth for him on Easter. We look forward and pray for this day.

A post for moms... topic: potty training

2011-05-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

This post will probably be boring to most and sorry for how long it is, but hopefully it will be helpful to a few mom friends who read my blog. I have had several friends ask me what my technique was for potty training Hudson especially being that we potty trained him at 23 months. So, here are my thoughts...

First off, I don't claim to be an expert. I don't have all the right answers. Potty training goes along the same rules as everything else. I am definitely not a "my way or the highway" kind of mom. I believe each parent has to decide what is best for them and their family. For example, there are some parents who swear by living on a very tight and strict schedule and for them that might be the only way they can function. Other moms, have routines but there is a flexibility within those routines. Either way isn't better or right, just different. Same thing goes for vaccine schedules, potty training and everything else. So, just because we did this method I am about to share... does not mean it is the only method or the right method. When sharing thoughts or methods on parenting, I never want to come across with a sense of superiority as if my way is the better way. There are always several ways to approaching situations and our potty training method was just best for us.

So, here is our story. When Hudson was around 21 months he was already showing significant signs that he was ready to begin potty training, but I kept blowing it off because nowadays it seems most moms wait until their kids are 2 1/2 or 3 to start potty training and because I have always heard "boys are sooo much harder to potty train". However, Hudson began telling us at a very early age when he had a dirty diaper. Then at 21 months when he was sick with pneumonia and right before a bath we sat him on the toilet and he both peed and took care of the bigger business (sorry if this is TMI). We were shocked and excited that he was able to control and go on command. But, again I just thought he was too young and I knew we were about to head to Europe in a few weeks. I definitely didn't want a potty training toddler as we traveled across the UK.

Finally, after we were home from the UK and a few days after he turned 23 months, I had a great conversation with the wife of one of my favorite professors from college (Elaine Lewis). We started talking about the subject and I decided the next morning after church to head to the store to get the necessary supplies. All Elaine said was that she started potty training as soon as her kids could recognize they had a dirty diaper. She didn't want to teach them that it was okay to continue to go in their diaper once they were aware of it. So, her daughters and her son all began the potty training process around 20-21 months. She encouraged me to just take Hudson in our backyard without a diaper on and let him play. Once he peed, celebrate it and then begin to ask him to go.

So, that is what we did. After church the following morning, I took him outside in our backyard. The first two times he peed he was caught a little off guard, but then I was able to ask him to go and he went. He just needed to realize the muscle that controls it and he was able to figure it out. We only spent about an hour and a half outside then we came in put a diaper on and played. However, I think this simple step was so significant in teaching Hudson how to control his bladder. The following morning is when we began the process and because he knew what to do when we asked him to pee... it made the whole process so much easier.

I also received some amazing advice from one of my friends from high school (Tiffany Booth) who has potty trained both of her oldest children at 20 and 21 months. I didn't realize that there were so many moms around me who were training their children at such young ages. Anyway, one of the major things she said that stuck with me was once you start remain consistent and plan on going all the way. With that said, here was our plan of attack:

- The first 2 days we just let him run around the house naked and took him to the bathroom every 20-30 minutes. Anytime he did go, we made a big celebration and gave him a m&m. The only time he wore a diaper was for naps and bedtime. One thing Elaine said was not to give him a ton of liquid because that is harder for them to control their bladder when they really have to go. So, we just gave Hudson the normal amount that he would drink on a daily basis.

-When Hudson did have accidents we didn't get upset or angry, but instead just explained that big boys go in the potty. We didn't want him to be embarrassed as he was learning.

-Day 3 we put him in underwear which really helped because was aware a lot faster if he had an accident.

-By day 4, we headed out for our first outing and we were accident free. I was a little shocked and excited that at only 23 months he was getting it. We drove in the car about 20 minutes to Chick-fil-A, played in the playground, ate lunch and headed home... all of this diaper free and accident free. I just took him to the restroom as soon as we got there and about every 30-45 minutes while we were there.

-Once we started... no more diapers even when we went out. We have to stay committed in order to not confuse him. (Although, there have been a few occasions where we have put a pull up on, but we treat it as a underwear. Most of the occasions have been when we are going somewhere where there isn't a bathroom near by.)

Another thing one of my friends shared is that it might take him a little longer to tell me he had to go. Hudson was able to do this within the first few days, but he wasn't telling me every time he had to go. So, we just took him regularly. The longer he has been in underwear the better he has gotten about this. He definitely knows if he has an accident and doesn't completely empty his bladder. While he is not perfect, it has been so much fun watching him learn and understand. And I am so thankful that we don't have to buy diapers for the next 7 months to a year.

So, that's it. Nothing amazing or different than anything a lot of other moms do. But, since so many friends had asked, I figured I would share our experience. For those of you who read through this entire post... I am impressed :) haha... you are probably a mom of a child close to the age of potty training. I just want to encourage each mom that you know your child best. And you will know when they are ready... whether it be 20 months, 23 months, 2 1/2 years or 3 years... you will know.

And here are a few photos from this morning of Hud running around outside. He spends a lot of time at our house running around in just his underwear... because well, it is just cute :)

19 weeks!

2011-05-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

So, earlier today I took my weekly belly picture. I was slightly shocked when I came across a picture of me at the same point in my pregnancy with Hudson... I was showing so much less. This makes me think that I will inevitably be huge by the end of this pregnancy.

This first picture is of me and Trav when I was 19 weeks with Hudson:

And this is me with baby #2 at 19 weeks:

Hudson's 1st Hair Cut

2011-05-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

On March 25th, we took Hudson to get his 1st hair cut. We have trimmed it several times along the way, because we didn't want the totally and completely awkward growing out hair. But, completely chopping it off was a whole different story. Hudson's long hair had some really cool moments, but being the active fun little boy that he is... most of the time it just landed in his face. So, we knew it was time. The night before we cut it we did one last bubble bath mohawk with his hair to remember how long it was.

Then before the appointment we took him to the park to get a few more pictures of his precious baby hair:

Showing off a few moves:

And yes, that is gum in his mouth. Right around the same time, he asked for some gum and we couldn't believe that he chewed it for almost an hour without swallowing it:

We did have some really awesome hair moments :)

My cousin cuts our hair and she always does an amazing job. I definitely didn't want Hudson to have the "little boy" hair cut and she did a great job keeping it really cute. Although, he hated the process:

We ended up going outside of the salon, so we didn't bother those who were trying to relax:

The chocolate shake we brought finally helped him calm down:

And waa laa... what a cutie:

And here is one cheesy smile of him the day after:

Steven Curtis Chapman Concert

2011-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I really haven't blogged much the last couple of months. There are several reasons for this, but I am ready to beginning catching up on our blog. I realized today I haven't posted about the Steven Curtis Chapman concert, potty training Hudson, Hud's 2nd birthday, Easter, Mother's Day, and just life in general.

Side note: I am going to try to catch up this week before I head back to Europe in a little over a week! This time I will be traveling to Denmark to shoot a wedding at a beautiful castle. I am really excited and a little nervous about leaving Hudson for so long. I will be traveling with the sister of the bride, Lina and her husband, Eric. Trav and I actually shot Eric and Lina's wedding last summer and now I will be heading to Lina's hometown to be a part of capturing her sister's wedding day! Trav and I really love them and we had so much fun at their wedding last summer. I remember walking away from their wedding saying how much fun their families were and how I think I would really like the Danish culture. Needless to say, I am really excited to really experience Denmark.

Anyway, here are a few photos and videos from the Steven Curtis Chapman concert that Travis opened up for. It really was such an honor and a blessing for Travis and the guys to get to open up for someone who has had such a significant impact on music and the church.

Before the concert, we had the greatest talk with Steven and his son's backstage. We were able to ask Steven questions about how he and his family have managed life and family while working in such a unique area of ministry. Steven was so honest and vulnerable about the struggles of life in this kind of ministry. It really was great to be able to listen to him and just soak up any words of wisdom that he shared.

We were also able to talk to him a little bit about how their lives have been impacted by the loss of their sweet daughter and how God has been their strength. After our conversation, I added his wife's book Choosing to See to my "must read" list of books I want to read through. Also, it was really sweet, but Hudson had just gotten his drum set a few days before the concert and he had blisters on his hands from playing for so many hours. Steven's son, Will plays the drums and has since he was about Hudson's age. He showed Hudson the blisters he had on his own hands which apparently he has been getting blisters on his hands since he was a boy too.

The 3 of us backstage right before the concert:

I didn't have time to get a good picture, because I was running back and forth between handling the final ticket sales, managing the merchandize table and watching Hudson. So, I just took a quick picture with my point and shoot camera of the guys running through the songs one last time before the concert started:

I think Brandon did a pretty good job imitating Hudson's look...haha:

I know... I am a dork for taking this picture. I wish I would have actually taken the time to get a group picture of us with Steven and his son's instead of just taking a picture of their names on the doors backstage:

Travis, Brandon and Josh:

Here are a few videos I just took with my flip camera:

Steven Curtis Chapman with 2 of his sons and their guitarist:

p.s. I hate calling this night a "concert" because it wasn't just a concert. It really was just a sweet night of corporate worship with a group of believers. I left so encouraged in my faith and refreshed.

15 weeks!

2011-05-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I am 15 weeks along now and I feel that I have definitely entered the awkward stage of... "is she pregnant... or maybe she has just gained a little weight"... haha. Regardless, I am enjoying this pregnancy just as much as I did with Hudson. I can't believe that we are only 5 weeks away from finding out.

Also, I posted this on facebook, but since the news is out that one my closest friends, Natalie is pregnant, I can finally share that Natalie and I are due on the exact same day!!! We both knew we were going to start trying for another baby, so we both figured we would hopefully be due within a few months of each other. But, I think we were both shocked when we found out we had the exact same due date!!! We knew it was possible that we could be within days of each other, but when our doctors confirmed our due dates... we were both so excited!

I had called Natalie while she was in class to share the news that Travis and I found out we were pregnant. She wasn't able to answer the phone, so she just sent me a text asking what was up. I just said I was calling to chat, which of course, she figured I was calling to tell her the news. She responded by asking, "are you pregnant". To which my reply was, "yes!!!!!!!!" and "are you?". I had immediate butterflies and instant shock when she wrote back, "yes!!!!!". It just has to be some kind of record...haha. :) So, we both have been sick at the same time, we both took the "magic pills" and we both have gained the same amount of weight! I know our pregnancies will be different and our children will be different, but it just is so fun to go through this at the exact same time and to support each other through all the new changes.

So, here is a picture of Natalie and I at 15 weeks:

and this one was taken just a couple days before at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert:

and the weekly belly pic:

and this is for my mom (she likes to read the weekly updates on how the baby is progressing):

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

Last day...

2011-04-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to buy tickets for the Steven Curtis Chapman concert that Travis is opening up for at The Grove of Anaheim this Thursday night 8:00pm. The tickets are $25 each... you can message Travis at travis@travisryanmusic.com to get a ticket.

sometimes I am still in shock...

2011-04-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe that we are going to get to experience this again in only 6 months!!! It just feels so surreal!

Our BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2011-04-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we have shared lots of exciting news as of late, but there really is nothing more exciting than another little blessing from the Lord that is growing within me :) We are expecting BABY #2 to arrive sometime around October 24th!!! I am 12 weeks along and finally getting a little bit of my energy back.

Here is the story of this little blessing...
We had originally thought we wanted to have another baby closer to Hudson's 2nd birthday (which is just in a couple of weeks), but after considering all the different circumstances in our life and praying together... we decided to wait about 6 months longer than we had planned. It was hard waiting, but we both felt like we were making the right decision. We had to trust God with His timing and we knew that regardless of our plans God is ultimately the One who gives life. So, we were beyond thrilled when we found out on February 11th that I was pregnant with this little baby!!!! So, Hudson and this little one will be almost exactly 2 1/2 years apart (that is if this baby comes on time).

It was really sweet for me to get to tell Travis that we were officially going to be a family of 4! It was one of the sweet moments in life that we will always remember and cherish. Later that evening we dropped Hudson off with my parents and headed out for date together to celebrate. We pulled out the same little outfits I used to tell Travis I was pregnant with Hudson and we took a family picture.

It was great to spend the time just the two of us talking about all that we are looking forward to and just being so thankful to the Lord for this little blessing.

About a week later, I immediately started having morning sickness which was about the exact same time I started feeling sick with Hudson. I was really worried about traveling on an international flight to the UK with a toddler and with the schedule I knew we had while we there. I even contemplated not going... but I decided to call my doctor and she gave me what I call my "magic pills" :). These little pills were sent to me from heaven :) The medicine is completely safe for both me and the baby, so I decided to try it. It is amazing how 5 minutes after I take the medicine I completely feel better. Needless to say, I felt great on our trip to the UK and I haven't had to deal with the morning sickness the last couple of months.

Although I haven't been feeling sick (thanks to my pills), I have been exhausted! I did great with the jet lag on the way to England, but when we got home... I was wiped out!!! Seriously, whenever Hudson was sleeping... I was sleeping. So, it feels great to finally have some energy back.

We had our first ultrasound at 8 weeks and it was just so amazing! We were beyond thrilled to see that there was only one baby and to see the baby had a strong heartbeat. We have since had the ultrasound picture hanging on our fridge and every time Hudson sees it, he says, "baby!".

We decided to take a family picture together in London to share our big news. So, here are my two favorite pictures from our entire trip :)

It is also amazing how much quicker I am already showing with this baby. I am thankful for my friends who have two children for warning me about this. I hear that I will slow down somewhere towards the middle. Either way, I absolutely love being pregnant.

(I didn't realize until today that I am wearing the same outfit as the day we found out I was pregnant...haha)

Here I am at 12 weeks!

I am one of those crazy women who loves being pregnant, and thanks to the grace of God I had a great delivery and I didn't have any trouble at all with nursing Hudson. I remember when I checked into the hospital when I was in labor with Hudson... the nurse reviewed my chart and said I was the perfect patient. This is of no credit to me, but all to the Lord. I am so thankful to have had a healthy pregnancy and delivery with Hudson. We are praying once again that the Lord would grant us grace with another healthy pregnancy, delivery and baby.

We just got back from our 12 week check up with the doctor today and it was so great to hear our little baby's heartbeat. It is just as exciting hearing it the second time around. We can't wait to see Hudson as a big brother. We are so excited to have another little newborn and all the joys that another little will bring into our lives. God is so good and we are so undeserving of His gifts. He is the One to be praised!

The Grove of Anaheim on April 28th!!!

2011-04-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

We just found out that Travis and the guys will be opening up for Steven Curtis Chapman at The Grove of Anaheim on April 28th!!! We will be selling tickets and I will soon post about how you can purchase the tickets.

England {part 3}

2011-04-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

The next day, John, the president of the Integrity London office picked us up and took us to Eastborne where their office is. Eastborne is also along the sea and just about 35 minutes north of Brighton. We spent the first few hours touring Eastborne and walking along the boardwalk. We stopped on the boardwalk at a little cafe for a cup of tea and we had the most wonderful conversation with John. Again, another man of God who we were left so encouraged by. He really just spurred us on in our faith and it was just so refreshing. I would love to share all the things God was doing in us, but I would end up writing a book.

After we spent some time in Eastborne, we headed to the office where we got to meet more of the Integrity staff. It was so great to meet the staff who will be behind releasing Travis' album in UK. Travis and Brandon were able to share there story with them, get to know them a little and just answer a any questions they had.

Here is a picture of us with some of the staff and John:

Later that night we took a train back into London and headed back to Ben and Brett's houses. The following day Hudson actually woke up sick, so we stayed home for the next two days. However, as far as timing goes it worked out perfectly. I felt awful that Hudson was sick, but at least most of our traveling around England was done. The remainder of our trip was spent just in London.

The day Hudson woke up sick, Travis and Brandon had another writing appointment this time with Ben Cantalone. The following day they had to do some recording to send in the work tapes of the new songs to Integrity. So while I was home with Hudson the guys were working... so we didn't miss out on much.

Ben's wife, Jess is actually a nurse so it was great to have her around while Hudson was sick. She and Ben were sooo accommodating and being home for two days actually allowed for some great time to visit. Jess and I really enjoyed getting to teach each other about our cultural differences. I loved getting to hear all about the queen and just the British customs.

On the way to one of their appointments, Travis and Brandon were able to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. I encouraged them to go without me because I had been to the changing of the guards when I was in college and I back packed across Europe. I didn't want them to miss out on the opportunity. Here is a video they took during the ceremony:

The final day we were in London we just toured around. We took the Tube (their underground train system) into downtown London to see a few of the classic sight seeing spots:

Again, Hudson taking his nap in the stroller while we walked around:

Brandon was so much fun to have with us, plus he is great with Hudson and Hudson adores him!

You can see the London Eye in the background:

The classic telephone booth photo...too bad Hudson was sleeping while we took this picture:

The oh-so-famous Big Ben clock:

The street preformers were quite entertaining too:

This guy was crazy... Travis and Brandon couldn't stop laughing. To think this guy makes a living like this:

We were able to hear the boys choir sing at the Westminister Abbey. Every time they would stop singing Hudson would say, "more"... I guess he really liked it :)

This was the first H&M I ever shopped at ....haha... way back when I was in college long before H&M ever made it to the states:

Downtown London has such a fun night vibe... we totally could have spent sooo much more time there. The last thing we were able to do was to meet up with Jonas Myrin for a cup of fresh squeezed juice at this really awesome little spot. Jonas is another great writer and we actually have a ton of mutual friends. It was great to meet with him and to just hear all that God is doing in his life.

Then we took the Tube back home to pack, visit a little more with Ben and Jess, and head back to the states the following morning. Our flight home was great and Hudson slept on and off for the 11 1/2 hour flight. Trav and I always wanted to be able to go to Europe together and it just worked out perfectly that since Hudson was only 22 months old we didn't have to pay for his plane ticket. We definitely got our money's worth from the airlines considering Hudson has flown quite a bit and all for free. He will be turning 2 in a couple of weeks which means we now will have to start buying his ticket :/

It was a busy trip with lots of traveling, but such a wonderful trip. We are so thankful that the Lord allowed us all to have such a great opportunity.

England {part 2}

2011-04-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

After we drove the 2 hour drive back from Cambridge, we dropped off the rental car at the airport and took a 45 minute taxi ride into London where we stayed with the most wonderful families! Travis met Ben and Brett when they were visiting Saddleback Church before they were about to start regional campuses back at the home church in London. Travis really hit it off with them and they invited him to stay with either of their families if ever he came to London. Who would have thought that only 8 months later, Travis, Brandon, Hudson and I would all be staying with them!

I was a little nervous about intruding in their home, but oh my goodness... what a God ordained relationship. I was able to skype the night before we flew out and talk with Ben and his wife, Jess who Travis, Hudson and I stayed with. I couldn't believe how well we connected even in just 30 minutes on skype. I was instantly excited and knew that we were going to have a great time. Every night that we stayed with Ben and Jess we would inevitably stay up way too late talking. Most of the nights we weren't in bed before 2:00am. Again, it was just so refreshing to us spiritually and so encouraging to see what God is doing in another part of the world.

Ben and Jess have a 5 year old little boy and a 2 1/2 year old little girl... and Hudson loved both of them! We loved getting to hear their children speak with their British accents and they loved hearing little Hudson speak with his "American" accent...haha. We had a great time trying to imitate each other. I am sooo bummed because most of our time we were just visiting casually in their home, drinking tea and eating crumpets and of course, also eating a ton of other wonderful food... and we never even took one picture of them! We are hoping they will be visiting us soon here in the states so we will have to make us for that ;)

Brandon stayed down the street at Brett and his wife, Joe's house. Brett and Ben have been on staff together at their church for a few years now and both of them just launched their churches first regional campuses...actually the launch was the very weekend we were there! Brett and Joe were equally wonderful and we really enjoyed spending time with them. One of the last nights we were there we all gathered at Ben and Jess' for some delicious Chinese food and fellowship. It really was such an encouraging night!

Anyway, the first night we were at their home we were only there for a few hours only long enough to get about 5 hours of sleep before we left early the next morning to catch a train into Brighton. Brighton is a beautiful city that is right on the sea. It was absolutely stunning and it was just fun to see another part of the country.

This was Hudson's first of many train rides:

Once we got to Brighton we met up with Matt Redman for breakfast at this amazing little spot. It reminded us of a restaurant you might find in Laguna Beach. The food was amazing!

Trav loved his tea that came with fresh strawberries in it:

Travis, Brandon and Matt before they headed out for a day of writing:

The whole crew with Matt:

I have to say Matt Redman is such a Godly man who really loves the Lord, loves God's word, has a huge heart for the church and he is definitely a family man. I have been so blessed by his ministry of writing worship songs and it was so great to meet him and see that he really was as genuine as I had hoped.

The guys headed to Matt's church that was actually built in 1824 and Brandon was able to play on one of the best pianos in the world. It was actually the same brand of pianos that is provided to the queen. They had the blessing of being able to write 2 songs with Matt during the few hours they were together. Both of the songs will be on Travis' album that they are currently in the studio recording.

Anyway, while the guys were gone, Hudson fell asleep in his stroller and I had the most wonderful and relaxing afternoon. I sat along the sea's edge, drank a cup of hot tea, watched my baby boy sleep and was able to read my Bible and just journal. It really was such a sweet time with the Lord that I will always remember and cherish. There are times that God just speaks to our hearts and that was one of those times.

I must say, I absolutely love that our little boy is easy going. He can go anywhere and sleep anywhere. His flexibility made for a great trip with him considering we were traveling so much even while we were in England.

The architecture and the view were just amazing. While Hudson was still asleep I walked along the boardwalk and just enjoyed all the sights and sounds.

Hudson and I checked into our hotel and relaxed for a little bit while we waited for the guys to return. Then for dinner we went to Wagamama... a recommendation from our friend BD... seriously, it was some of the best Japanese food I have ever had! Hudson slept through the whole dinner so we actually had a relaxing quiet dinner together :)

And they had a gluten free menu for Brandon... which is sooo rare and sooo amazing when restaurants are actually aware of food allergies!

England {part 1}

2011-04-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

It is hard to begin blogging about our trip to England, because there are so many wonderful stories we could tell. I don't plan on sharing them all on my blog, but I will share a few. Overall, the trip was so refreshing for all of us spiritually and God really spoke to us in so many different ways.

Hudson did amazing on both flights. He has always traveled really well on the 4-5 hour fllights we often take to and from Ohio, but flying for 10-12 hours is a whole different story. He did amazing! On the way there we had an extra seat for him. He played for the first 4 hours, then we layed his blanket down on his seat and he slept in between Travis and I for the next 6 hours. When we landed he woke up happy and ready to go.

Here is Trav with Hudson after he received his first stamp in his passport:

After we landed we picked up the car that we were planning on renting for the duration of the trip, however, after our drive into Cambridge and after crunching a few more numbers, we ended up returning the car the next day. It was one of the best decisions we made. With that said, it was a great experience and we definitely had fun! After 30 minutes in the parking lot and laughing until I was crying... we finally had a few legistics figured out and we were on our way.

I was the one who was driving... so just imagine driving on the wrong side of the road, from the wrong side of the car, and a stick shift on the wrong side... all of that was manageable, BUT what was worse was their round-abouts. I would get nervous everytime we got close to a round-about. They definitely are not like our round-abouts and they go flying off their freeways into a them at really high speeds. I was the one driving because we thought I would be dropping off the guys at all their writing appointments and it costs more to add additional drivers. However, after our first few round-abouts, if the guys could have driven, I would have happily handed over the keys.

We didn't take any pictures of our car, but here is a short video. Brandon did a great job navigating while Trav hung out with Hudson in the back seat:

From the airport, we headed straight for Cambridge where we walked around a little and grabbed a bite to eat. Talk about a town full of history... I wish we could have stayed longer and explored:

It really is just amazing and breath taking all the architecture and history that is found on every corner:

After dinner we headed to St. Ives which is right outside of Cambridge, where we stayed with the Kirk family. Our visit with them can only be described as "refreshing". Talk about a family who walks with the Lord and pursues Him with all that they are! Just hearing about what God is doing in their lives and ministries was just amazing. I felt myself fighting back the tears on more than one occasion. There is something infectious about people who are passionate about our Savior. There family has been following Christ for 8 generations! What an amazing heritage!

Hudson loved getting to play with all the British children that were around:

Even Brandon had a good time with the kids:

Hudson and Harry had a special relationship. Anything... and I mean anything Harry did made Hudson laugh. We can still talk about Harry and Hudson will start laughing or he will start imitating Harry. It is such a blessing to see how children are completely unaware of cultural differences... they just know how to love. It was so sweet to watch:

A little jet lagged (Although, I must say the jet lag was not bad when we got there, but when we got home... we all had a hard time adjusting):

The next morning Travis and Brandon led worship for a church plant in St. Ives. Travis is still talking about how blessed he was by this church. They were suppose to lead worship for 40 minutes, but they ended up leading worship for the entire hour and half. The people were so responsive to the Lord... it was really moving to be a part of worshiping our Creator together.

Towards the end of this video you will see the pastor dancing and worshipping with the children in the main service... we loved it!

A simple school room, a simple system, and a group of believers who are passionate about their Savior...

Brandon and Travis with more of the Kirk family:

The Kirk grandfather... he is 94 years old and loves the Lord with every fiber in him:

The pastor of the church:

After the service we all stayed around to enjoy tea, coffee and fellowship. I loved how everyone didn't rush out...they just spent time with each other. Then after lunch and more fellowship with the Kirk family, they showed us around St. Ives. Some of these buildings are over 700 years old!

This used to be the one and only water pump for the entire town:

Here is a picture of a home with a thatched roof... they still keep up the roofs and people still live in them!

In front of a church and graveyard over 700 years old:

It is amazing to think people have been worshipping the Lord in this building for so many years:

Brandon and I showing how short this door was... I guess they used to just bend down when they entered into the homes. This home is still being used:

Hudson all snuggled up in his stroller:

More of the beauty of St. Ives:

our first garden...

2011-03-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while since I have blogged. We had a fantastic trip in England and God really moved in all of our lives in so many different ways. We have been home now for a few weeks, but between photo shoots, editing, cleaning, jet lag, Travis and the guys in the studio tracking the next album, warm weather, an amazing weekend retreat with the Saddleback pastors' wives and so much more... I just haven't gotten to posting all our pictures. It feels like such a huge feat I must conquer because we have so many photos and so many stories to tell.

All that to say, I figured I would start small and share the joy of today. The weather here in San Clemente was a beautiful 80 degrees! It was like a sweet gift from the Lord. This year especially, I have been so thankful that God created seasons and has allowed us to enjoy them. And for some reason, this spring has brought so much joy and refreshment to me. So, I decided this would be the spring I would finally plant a garden!

I have wanted to plant a garden for the last several years and I never think about it until we are right in the middle of summer which of course, is not the ideal time to plant a garden. Travis even bought me a really cute "just because" gift last summer that was a box of cute little stakes with the different names of herbs on them to help mark your plants. However, I still didn't get around to planting a garden and I must admit, most everything I plant dies... even succulent plants have died under my watch and care (or the lack there of my watch and care).

Anyway, Hudson is at an age where I think this will be a great activity for us. Plus, thankfully my son loves vegetables... raw vegetables... any kind of vegetable... and I think it will be fun for him to get to pick the vegetable and eat it from our yard. With warm weather on the horizon, we headed out to make our purchases. Then after Hudson's nap, we had a wonderful afternoon planting our very first garden. We planted strawberries, zucchini, green bell peppers, jalapenos, red bell peppers, early girl tomatoes, yellow tomoatoes, cilantro, basil, green onions, green beans, heirloom tomatoes, yellow squash and watermelon. I am hoping we can keep these plants alive long enough to actually get to eat the fruit of our labor.

I took this with my phone on our way out to the store to buy everything we would need... maybe he is a little nervous knowing that I don't have much of a green thumb :)

As I lined up all the plants, Hudson watered each and every plant... his love for water help accommodate for a fun task:

Then we got our supplies out and we were off... Hudson took a quick break to watch the kid across the street on his skateboard:

We did lots of digging:

And of course, we had to add extra soil. Hudson loved this part... he would grab a few hand fulls and then put it on whatever plant he deemed appropriate:

He even added soil to the plants that weren't even planted yet:

Once we finished planting our garden, we headed to the backyard to rinse off. And well, Hudson learned a new skill... a skill I know I will regret teaching him. He now knows how to get the water from the hose to spray. He spent the next hour or so, trying to spray me or Gunner which inevitably got him completely soaked:

He was quite pleased with this new skill :)

Thank you Lord for reminding us through Your creation of our need for You. You are the only reason there can ever be fruit in our lives. Thank you for your grace and love that abounds in our lives. Let this garden be our garden to remind us of You throughout these next few months.

Brandon's 30th Birthday

2011-03-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Travis' brother, Brandon just turned 30 a couple of weeks ago and we had a great time celebrating. My mother-in-law flew out to surprise him at the surprise party we had planned for him. And let me tell you, there were SEVERAL times where we all almost blew it. Unfortunately, someone did blow it that Debbie was in town, so in order to throw Brandon off we had a "fake" surprise lunch with the fam and Debbie before the actually surprise party.

Kim had planned a day with Brandon, so he wasn't really thrown off much by the fact that she had a shirt made for him and had him blind folded throughout the day. Here they are heading in for the "fake" surprise lunch. He had no idea we were all standing around him taking pictures:

the surprise face:

Entering the room for the real surprise party:

We didn't end up taking a group shot with everyone who came, but there were about 50 friends and family who all came out to celebrate Brandon's birthday. We had such a great time! Here is a picture of the family and a couple of the friends who helped pull off the party:

And then there is the video...

Our good friend from college, Brent plays cello for OneRepublic, he and Brandon had been working on a song. At the time, Brandon didn't want anyone to hear the song, but Brent's intentions were to use the song for this video for his party.

So, I give you "Party All The Time" sung by the one and only Brandon Collins and performed by the Collins' family and a few close friends:

Happy 30th Birthday Brandon!!!

We love you!!!!

time spent with friends...

2011-03-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest things about working at the Saddleback Orange campus is getting to spend more time with the Goley family! We absolutely love their family and appreciate them so much! They have been such a blessing in our lives. We had them over for a BBQ and a walk down to the beach. Hudson loved having friends over.

We have also really enjoyed our friendship with Eric and Lina. After we took them to the Getty to take a few photos, we went down to West Hollywood to grab dinner. I am really looking forward to traveling with them to Denmark in June to shoot Lina's sister's wedding:

(sorry Eric and Chad that I didn't get a picture of you guys)