Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We are 8 3/4 days into 2010, we all get the picture by now....

Christmas was eventful this year! Snow, cold, wind, family, presents, good food, love, and joy! We headed to Woodston (stockton technically) on Tuesday before Christmas to beat the winter weather storm in before Christmas, we drove in fog the ENTIRE way, but arrived safe and sound before the sleet and snow started.

After being away from "home" (the familiar hometown in which you grew up in, but no longer where you reside) for 10 years and coming back for the holidays and other special events brings back a flood of memories, some great, some good, some not so much. Plus the dreams you had when you lived there and how your life would turn out....it interests me to see old friends, neighbors and the people who have moved in and wonder if their life is how they thought it would be...mine it's similar to how I imagined but not 100%, living in a small town with a wonderful husband, kids, pets and a stable career away (the american fairly tail with 2.5 kids and white picket fence) my career isn't what I imagined, but it satisfies me...anyway I've digressed...

Christmas Eve was spent traditionally at Grandpa and Grandma Poore's with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins and all of my immediate family, full of fun, cards, stories from Grandpa's younger days (at 98 he's had lots of days) and laughter.

Christmas Day we spent through lunch time with my family then headed back home for Christmas night with Evan's family. The weather was much more "wintry" until we reached Rush Center and then clear, windy and cold.

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year! Our first with Layton was very special, he figured out how to get into gift bags and tearing paper and bows off of presents, he did like to shred each piece another 4 or 5 times through. We are so blessed to have wonderful family and friends!

New Years! Most (90% I think) are broken by February, but jumping on the band wagon, I've set a few and will try to up-hold...
1. Read More
2. Plan meals out each week to save on buying unnecessary groceries (and letting them go to waste) and having a plan each night so we can eat as a family thus Layton gets to enjoy more table food and less baby food (his appetite doesn't hold much past 5:55)
3. Save money
4. Take Better care of myself (loose weight, get back into yearly dental exams, keep up early eye exams and physicals)
5. Enjoy Life, my family, and Layton even more. Time is too short to sweat the small stuff!

Hope 2010 is finding you all well. Next update will include new photos, a snowmobile trip recap, plus 1st birthday news!

Healing Update

3 weeks 1 Day after "the accident" Layton is healing incredibly well, children are the most resilliant creatures on earth. He was crawling less than 5 days after breaking his collarbone and now only a bump remains.

Today is a snowy, blizzardy day in Eastern CO. Light fluffy snow + 30 mph wind = blizzard with zero visabilty.

This past weekend Evan and I took off for a shopping trip and night away in Denver. It was the first night Layton has ever spent away from both of us at the same time. We had so much fun! Christmas shopping is done, presents are wrapped, Christmas photos are taken, we had our first dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse (delicious, never-ending kabob), only called Grandma 5 times, and we all survived! The night away was good for Evan and I.

Christmas season is upon us! We are delaying putting up our tree since Layton is so curious. Plus he attacked the babysitter's tree yesterday pulling on branches and checking it all out. Our other decorations are up. During Christmas our major activities include sending cards, shopping, decorating and baking. This year we are thinking of a cookie sampler array instead of the normal candies, cookies, fudge, and cookies. Trying new cookie recipes will be adventerous.

Enjoy the bustling time of year as we all take time to count our blessings, enjoy gathering with friends and family as well as hold onto the true meaning of Christmas.

1st Broken Bone

Well, as a parent who would dream their child's first broken bone would be before their 1st birthday? Yesterday was a tough day at the Hopkins' Household. Evan was walking down the two stairs from our dining room into the living room, stumbled, twisted his ankle, hit the wall, and dropped Layton. The little dude landed on his back, slightly rolled towards his left side and whail, cry and bawl - oh poor little guy. 30 minutes later he was still crying and we were sitting in the Doctor's office, 45 minutes later confirmation of the broken collar bone. Not much to do for a broken collar bone on a baby (or anyone else either really), he has a figure 8 brace (material tyed into a brace) for the next 10-14 days.

Day 1 Layton and Evan were both in tons of pain (me too but not as much as the boys). Every time Layton moved it hurt him and he cried. Every time Layton cried Evan was almost pushed over the edge too. However, we all managed to sleep most of the night!

Day 2 All are doing better, Layton does really good holding his arm still and not moving it. He has forgot a couple times and tried to reach for a toy or wanted to crawl.

Before we were parents several people shared "your child in pain is the worst, most painful ordeal you endure"; yep it has been tried and true for us. You would do anything to change places and endure the pain for your child.

Fall Update

Fall is here! Fall Harvest (corn, milo and sunflowers) is in full swing and we have started a new chapter in our lives. We lost Tucker, our beloved black lab 10 days ago. Tucker was digagnosed with liver cancer and a week later he joined the angels in Heaven.

Tucker was an integral part of our family and it has been an adjustment to life withouth him. Parts of the house are much emptier where his bed, food bowls, and toys were; it's much quieter at night without his shuffling; we no longer rush home from town or farming to let him out, there is no wagging tail to greet us and all the small things we grew to appreciate in 7 years. Letting him go was one of the hardest things our marriage has endured thus far; but loving him brought so much joy.

We have shed many tears and a couple sleepless nights over the loss (Evan drove home 2 days early from Elk hunting to see him......).

Layton is doing good, he had a couple rough days with loosing Tucker too, but we are all getting stronger. Maybe after the first of the year we will be ready for a puppy....Layton does have a January birthday...hmmmm....something to ponder.

Tomorrow we go in for Layton's 9 month checkup and the 2nd dose of seasonal flu shot. He is the proud owner of 6 teeth, 4 on the bottom and 2 on the top! Layton is pulling up to everything and starting to cruise around the furniture; he is so much fun and a happy little dude.

Thanksgiving is almost here! Time to be Thankful and Joyful for all the blessing we have.

Fall

Fall is in the air! My favorite season. It's been a busy few weeks in the Hopkins' Household. The wheat is all drilled, we celebrated my Grandma Venda's 90th birthday, went back to a Stockton Tiger football game, and are enjoying the cooler temperatures.

Layton continues to grow, change, and amaze us! He is now pulling himself up to stand and crawls with such speed. He started a new daycare last week and really likes it. There is normally another little boy his age and two or three little girls to make over him. At the end of the month he will start back part-time to his regular babysitter.

A random thought to share; count your blessings each day. This past week really made me stop to think how lucky Evan and I are. We have a roof over our heads, food to eat, a healthy happy baby, loving family, jobs, and health insurance. Also on the blessings is the fact, 3 of my 4 Grandparents are still with us at age 88, 90, and almost 98; all are still living at home, functioning and enjoy to visit (*tear*)

Take Care! Enjoy the start of football season!

Summer Catch-up

Another month (and a half) has flown by! We are having so much fun being parents and have enjoyed the summer.

Layton now weights 16 1/2 lbs (50th percentile) and is 24 inches tall (75th percentile); he only gained about 1 1/2 pounds between checkups but shot up 2 inches.

Layton's first two teeth are in (both on the bottom); he went to his first Rooks County Free Fair; and he is army crawling all over the place. He loves the outdoors and got to experience sitting in the green soft grass last weekend in Scott City; it was an experience.

Wheat drilling is just around the corner, the ground is ready to go but we could use one more rain. Fall is in the air, my favorite season!!

Take Care and more RCFF details to follow in the next post.

Harvest 2009

Harvest 2009 was completed July 4th at Hopkins' Farms, just in time for grilling and celebrating our great country and remembering what the day is about followed by the Annual Mike and Avery Hopkins fireworks show!

Harvest was average in some fields, below average in others, and one above average; the week went by with only 2 or 3 breakdowns and no major accidents. One combine required a new fuel line in which my Dad brought from Hoxie, another combine required an auger cylinder from Portland, OR, a small catalytic convertor smoldering on 2007 chevy pickup, and 2 flat tires. We had great help with Evan's cousin Mike (son Avery), cousin Leonel (son Cody), my Dad, Evan's sister Christy, neighbor Jeff, Evan's Mom (she's the cook, babysitter, and gofer extrodinare!), Evan, and of course his Uncle Robert we farm with. Harvest is very stressful, busy, and exciting all rolled into one. The one time of year farmers anticipate the most and breath a great sigh of relief at the end.

Before we started cutting Evan spent 4 days helping my parents harvest their wheat; it was the first time either of us was away from Layton (glad it was Evan first :) ).

Layton had his first night away from a parent, his first combine ride, first harvest and tonight his first cereal. He ate rice cereal like a pro, first bite down the hatch and then begging for more. He is so much fun!

We get back into a regular summer routine this week with swimming and softball. We won our game two weeks ago then took a week off for harvest, we are 2 -5 on the season.

Hope your summers are all going well!