A Hill Family First

Since Lee and I got married, we have always had a fake Christmas tree. I just think it's a lot easier to deal with. Less mess, easy disposal, etc. And every year Lee whines about it. He wants the SMELL of Christmas in the house. Well, this year, our softball team was selling trees at school for a very reasonable price. They even agreed to deliver them! So I caved. Although there is quite a mess everywhere - I just can't seem to get all the needles up before more fall - it is beautiful. And it does smell really good. It is so huge. We had to move furniture all over to make room for it. Parker loves turning the lights on in the morning and turning them off at night. He's been pretty good about leaving it alone...but as you can see he does sneak over every now and then to see what he can do. So all in all, I'm glad we have it. That's not to say that we'll have a real one next year...we'll just have to see.

I must give some credit to my sweet little sister, Lia. Lee and I put the tree up last Saturday and put the lights on and everything, but we didn't have time to put the ornaments on. I had truly considered not putting ornaments on it at all...I mean, the time to leave the tree up this year is so short. Well, I came home from school on Wednesday to find my tree totally decorated. Lia had come home after exams and decorated the tree while I was gone. And she's allergic to real Christmas trees! I'm was and am so grateful. It really is beautiful. She did a great job.

One last week left of school!! Being out last week for our "snow day" kinda spoiled me. I'm ready to be out NOW!!

A haircut for you, and a haircut for you...

Everyone in our house got a haircut last week! I was so tired of looking at Parker's wings and was finally able to convince Lee that it was ok to cut them off. Ms Ann was so quick he didn't even know what happened! Lee just needed a trim, but I was in need of a full new 'do. Tired of looking like a child with unruly hair. Thank you to Roxanne who made me look like I teach high school and am not in it!!


Parker couldn't figure out what was going on.

My two boys after their hair cuts. Yes, it's dark. Ms Ann cuts hair at ungodly hours of the day and night!

My self-photo.

Wrap it in maroon and white...

Well, the Bulldogs weren't so hot this year, but we sure did have a great time going to Starkville to cheer them on. Although the tailgate was a lot of work sometimes, it was fun to visit with family and friends, and most of the time the weather was even good. We were so excited that Courtney & Jason and Jenny & Ryan and C&C got to come. We had a great time chasing kids! I know there's still one game left, but we're finished for the year. We'll be starting our Thanksgiving celebration early! Go Dawgs!

The Hills and The Goolsbys

Our family pic

My mom and Parker

Parker loves to play with Courtney!

Trick or Treating Fun

Parker had a great time seeing all the trick or treaters tonight. We went next door to see Landon and Carter (all three of these little boys are within a month of each other!). Then we strolled down the street to see the sights with my friend Stacie and her two kids. Parker loved seeing everything. He couldn't turn his head quick enough to see it all!

The Pumpkin Patch

My mom and Alyssa and I took Parker to the pumpkin patch this past week to take some pictures. It wasn't very sunny, and Parker wasn't really in the mood, but we did get a few good pictures. I can't believe it's already fall...and almost winter! But I do love this time of year. I used to love summer...now I love this time. Something about the cool air that makes me happy! :)

Just in case anyone was wondering...

Parker is really crawling!! from Jessica Hill on Vimeo.

Yep, he finally decided to join every other baby his age!! Parker has actually been crawling for a few weeks now. I just didn't have time to post it. He's also pulling up and walking around everything while holding on. We just thought we were busy!

Go State!!

Parker loved his first Mississippi State game this past weekend. We went up Saturday morning and tailgated with my parents and Lia along with some other guests who came by. We had a great time, and Parker was a great sport. He didn't nap all day and was content to eat whenever we remembered (oops!) and didn't fuss all day. He loved all the sites and sounds... and especially the win! And we'll be going back next weekend!

Props to my husband...

Lee had major babysitting duty tonight. A bunch of the girls went out to eat for Jenny's birthday tonight, and we were so excited. Well, Alicia called today with news that her husband was sick, so she was planning to not go because someone had to stay home with Ally...until Lee saved the day. He volunteered to stay home with both of our little munchkins so we could go out for a quick night of fun. And he did a great job!! He did feed Ally in the living room, but I think she was fine with it. There were toys all over the floor and both kids seemed ok when we got back, so I think things went ok! He even had time to take these fun pictures while we were gone! He seriously is like supermom sometimes. He's just so calm and collected and never gets panicked about anything...which would be ideal when watching two very mobile babies!! Thanks for taking one for the team, Lee!!


Parker kept trying to get to Ally while she was eating...and she kept watching Parker. I'm not sure that a whole lot of eating was accomplished!

These two played really well together and had toys everywhere!

Another Singleton Bulldog...and DG!!

Lia in her new dorm room

We moved Lia into her dorm at Mississippi State almost two weeks ago. It was so fun all day long, but the end was really sad. Leaving her was so strange! It still just feels like she shouldn't be big enough to stay there by herself. Because I am so much older than her, I can sort of understand how my parents felt when Alyssa and I went to college. I'm so excited for all that Lia has ahead of her and the fun she's going to have...but I worry about her. What if she gets lost? Or runs out of gas? Or someone's mean to her? It's silly, I know. And the greatest thing is that Lia really is outstanding and has such a great head on her shoulders about everything, so I know we have nothing to worry about. And Lord knows if I made it, she'll be just fine! It'll just take some time for me to get used to her being that old!

She did go through rush last week and had a great time. She met some great girls who were going through and has become good friends with some of them already. She had an amazing time at every house and honestly had a hard time making her decision. The fact that Alyssa and I were both DGs...and my mom...actually made her feel like it wasn't at all what she wanted to do. Thanks to the hard work of my sweet friend, she did love it. She loved the girls she met there, and then started realizing that the friends she was making loved DG, too. So, after all the late night phone calls (that Lee is glad are over!) and talking through everything, she made her decision and is so happy with it. She is having the time of her life. My mom and I keep saying that we still can't believe she's even at Mississippi State, so the fact that she is having so much fun makes us so happy. Classes started yesterday, so that added a little bit of stress, but I think the fun is overriding the stress!

Thank you so much to all my friends who helped in Lia having such a great time last week. It was so fun to see her really be able to make the decision that was best for her and not just be left with one choice because of decisions we had made. You guys are the best!!

Lia and her friend Haley from Kentucky...the two out-of-state girls!!

An update on life...

Lee and I had so much fun on our little surprise getaway. He did amazingly well in the planning. We left Friday and met his parents in Winona, and they took Parker to Pontotoc. Then we were off for a night at the Aluvian in Greenwood with dinner at Luscoe's. It was so good, and the hotel was amazing. I know this is ridiculous, but I had never been to the Delta before, so we took our time Saturday driving through up to Clarksdale where we stopped for lunch at Abe's BBQ and dessert at Ground Zero. Then we went on to Memphis where we saw Willie Nelson and Dave Matthews in concert...and ran into Libby and Parker!! We had a great time, and it was such a nice little trip. A great break before the craziness of school began!

If I don't come back...

you'll know it's because I've been kidnapped!! Lee and I are going on a little trip this weekend. The problem is....I have no idea where we're going! He's planned this whole thing and not told me anything. I've been getting random clues all weekend, but they're so random that I have no idea what he's talking about. I know, it's really sweet, so why should I worry? Well, let's just say that Lee and I have different tastes when it comes to having fun, which is normally good when we're planning TOGETHER! I love to go to the beach...Lee would rather hike a mountain, and somehow we normally find a common ground. So who knows where we're going or what in the world we're doing??!! I'm sure it will be a great time and a fun way to spend the last weekend before I'm officially back to work. Wish me luck!!

Was it really that long ago??

Was it really 10 years ago that I graduated from high school? I couldn't believe it when I got the information in the mail, and then the decision came. Go or not go? After talking to Lanette many times, we decided we would go. At the very worst it would be terrible and we would leave. Oh my gosh, we had the best time!! We were still a little apprehensive as we walked up to the gathering Friday night, but as soon as we got there, we were so glad we decided to go. All the names of old faces came flooding back along with old memories and new conversations of what everyone was doing. We were sad when the night ended on Saturday but made lots of promises to keep in touch. I can't wait for the next one!!

I know this may seem a little ridiculous, but we bought a little portable DVD player for my car. Parker loves Sesame Street, so I thought it might help the 3 hour ride for him to have a little something to watch. Boy, was it a help. Please do not leave comments about how my child will never know how to just sit still and that he doesn't ALWAYS have to be entertained (arguments from Lee). I realize all of these things and do not allow him to watch TV all day when we're at home. But on a long car ride??? Please, I would love to watch a movie, too!!

Boy, did this make Lee happy!! Lee's mom bought Parker this tshirt, and he wore it around the house yesterday. He's getting his top teeth, and he's just not himself, so we were bums for the day. I think he made a lot of people happy with this picture...mostly his daddy!

My Dad the Handyman

My dad can seriously do anything and everything. It's sort of a joke around our family, but it's sooo great when we really need something. He built most of the furniture in our house (and out...like the deck!), can fix anything on our cars, and can fix EVERYTHING that needs repair. Bless his heart when he comes to Jackson! Alyssa and I are normally waiting with a list of things we need him to look at. And bless our poor husbands' hearts when they try to fix something. We're very quick to say that "Daddy doesn't do it like that," or "Whey don't you just call my dad and ask him?"
As soon as I found out I was pregnant, he got to work on this changing table/storage unit for Parker's nursery.

When I went to Houston earlier in the summer, he surprised me with this light that he'd been working on for Parker's room. He had to order the wagon wheel and lanterns and had been working on putting it all together. So when they came this past week, he was finally able to hang it up for us. It looks amazing and seriously makes the room come completely together. It's a great finishing touch.

Thanks for all of your hard work, Dad!! We will surely treasure these things forever.

A long wait...but worth it!

This has been the longest wait of my life! Lee started this deck at the beginning of May and finally finished it this weekend. After promises that it would be finished by Memorial Day, I gave up and figured it would be Christmas before we had a deck to sit outside on. Well, I guess my dad and Sam finally got tired of hearing me complain about it and came over for the weekend to lend a helping hand. They worked nonstop on it all weekend, and I love the finished product. Parker loves to be outside, so I'm sure we'll be spending lots of time on it. Thanks Mr. Howard, Dad and Sam!!


Lee's dad came down in May to help him build the frame.

Sam, Lee and my dad

The finished product!!!!

Our umbrella even has lights underneath it. It's hard to do them justice with a camera, but they look so neat!

I hate baby food...

I seriously hate baby food. I don't mean I hate the taste of it...I don't try it. I just hate it period. It makes a huge mess, and it stinks so bad. And Parker is not the baby who loves baby food and can't get enough of it. I have to hide the bottle until we're finished eating in the high chair or he just won't eat it. So I found the greatest thing, and it has made baby food so much easier. It's called a Squirt, and I found it at Babies R Us. The clear spoon part unscrews, and baby food goes into the orange part. Then you just screw the spoon back on and start eating. When you squeeze the sides, the baby food comes out onto the spoon. You can put it right into the refrigerator just like this or in a diaper bag for on the go. It leaves a hand to wrangle a child!! We fill one with fruit and one with vegetables. I still don't love baby food, and I don't think I ever will, but this makes it a little more bearable. I highly suggest it!!