A lot of change has happened since the last post ...

Obviously, it's been a while ... a long while since I've blogged about the latest happenings with the Hornsby Family.  More than two years has gone by since that last post highlighting a fun trip with our dear friends the Morgan family who still live in Florida.  That blog makes me a bit sad since that was the last time we've seen our friends, but both families have decided enough is enough and have vowed we'll get together this fall.

What has happened in two years? Well ... our family was living in two cities to accommodate two jobs.  Since that time, I finished up 12 years with the City of Natchitoches, sold our home in central Louisiana and made a giant leap of faith by moving the entire family to West Monroe to join Shawn (not all in that order).  I've spent exactly one year as the president of the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce - Chamber work is new to me but the past year has been a good one.  It's been filled with caring members of the community who want to see the area we live in grow and prosper and along the way, I've found an opportunity to help people and make new friends.

Shawn continues to find meaningful ways to serve people with his ministry at First United Methodist.  Being a preacher's wife wasn't something I could have ever imagined for myself, but I've been surprised at the joy I have found helping him serve others.  He continues to persevere with seminary and a master's of divinity is within his reach - exactly two years within his reach.  I have declared it so.

The kids are worth an entire blog entry of their own.  So many stories and updates to share, but all three are growing too quickly and consume a huge space in our hearts.  Summer is nearing an end, and we've enjoyed the extra time we get to spend together as a family.  Now, we are preparing for a fall semester of new classes and new opportunities and hopefully, more changes.

Fun in the Sun!

We enjoyed the girls' spring break with a quick but fun trip to Florida to see our good friends, the Morgan's. While Shawn was in class, the kids and I got to visit with the Morgan family and check out some of the sights and sounds of Tallahassee, including the beach on St. George's Island.

We had a fabulous time on the beach - it was very calm and quiet with not too many people on the beach. It was very peaceful and not too commercial. The kids had a great time playing in the surf and sand, collecting seashells and chasing seagulls.

Emily was a bit scared that day of seeing sharks and we assured her there were none to be seen. Toward the end of our day at the beach, we were standing in the surf when we saw a 3 ft sand shark! It was way too close for my comfort and Emily saw it and began to freak out! She immediately wanted to go home but as long as she stayed on the water's edge, she was fine. Cooper was a real champ - he loved the beach and was never fussy.

We had a great visit with the Morgan's and can't wait to see them again!

It's Springtime!

The spring weather is a welcome addition to our house! We love the warmer

weather, flowers and staying light later, which means more play time outside!

We had have a busy first part of 2011 - we rescued a puppy - a shephard mix -

named Roscoe and also traveled to Mobile for dance competition, getting to visit

our good friends the Morgan Family. We just celebrated Emily Claire's 5th birthday

and Cooper's 1st birthday is just weeks away. We have a busy spring ahead

of us with birthdays, an overnight camping trip for Shawn and Peyton,

dance practice, Easter and crazy work schedules.

Doesn't look like things will slow down for a while -

maybe in the summer!!

Happy Holidays

I can't believe the holidays are already upon us and we are at the end of December. We have enjoyed a great December with lots of fun family outings. We have been caroling, ice skating, looking at Christmas lights and most recently, went on The Polar Express in Texas with the Thomas Family. The kids had a great time but Emily was terrified to see Santa. Other than that, they all enjoyed the train ride, hot chocolate and singing Christmas carols- they loved their silver bell given to them by Santa.

We've also enjoyed the arrival of my brother's baby, John Paxton, earlier this month. Everyone is doing well and he is a sweet baby. It's great for Cooper to have a baby cousin. We still have more holiday adventures ahead of us including Christmas Eve church service, Christmas with the Boudreaux Family and in the middle of it all, Peyton's 7th Birthday!

The holidays have been a great time for all of us - it's fun to watch the kids get so excited and of course, this is Cooper's first Christmas. It is a special time of year for all of us!

It's Fall!

The fall season is here and we are so busy and I think we're only going to get busier. October flew by with school, dance lessons, work, a little sickness and family outings. We survived Halloween celebrations that included school parties, field trip to a pumpkin patch, our church pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating, birthday parties and a church carnival. Whew!

Cooper is getting so big - already six months old. He can sit up for a few minutes by himself, is rolling over all the time and getting on his knees and rocking a bit. Still no teeth but he gnaws on everything and loves his baby food.

The girls are doing well also. Emily loves preschool and is really learning a lot - she's already been named Student of the Week. Peyton is doing well in school also - they learn so many new things in first grade at such a fast pace.

We're getting ready for another busy month. November promises to be just as hectic as October. We've already marched in our first parade for dance. The rest of the month holds Veteran's Day program at school, Thanksgiving dinner at school, friends' birthday parties, dress up like a storybook character, pre-K Pow Wow, turning on of Christmas lights in Natchitoches and of course, Thanksgiving. We may even see the arrival of Patrick's son, John Paxton in late November.

Back to School

It's back to school/back to work time for the Hornsby family. After months of maternity leave, I returned to work in mid August and the girls started school.

Peyton started 1st grade and we're getting used to having homework every night and real tests. A lot different than kindergarten! Emily started Pre-K and she likes being a "real school girl."

Cooper is at home with a child care provider and they both seem to be hitting it off. It's nice knowing he's at home being taken care of while I have to commute to work.

Shawn is at West Monroe First United Methodist Church, getting really busy with the youth this fall with football games, Bible studies, conferences, retreats and more. He starts seminary again in just a couple of weeks, taking classes online this fall.

Besides school and work, the girls are taking dance lessons. Peyton is on her dance school's competition team, which means she takes 3 hours of dance a week. It's a lot of practicing and they have lots of performances scheduled this fall, but she really enjoys it and grows as a dancer every day.

Whew! Lots of activity at our house, which means the fall should fly by!!

Cooper is here!!

The past few weeks have been extremely hectic as we welcomed the arrival of Henry Cooper Hornsby on April 18, one week early! It's hard to believe he is already six weeks old. He is a sweet baby and has already gotten bigger, from 7 lbs 12 oz to 10 lbs 9 oz!! We love having a little boy in the house, and his sisters love him, a little too much! They want to hold him all the time - Peyton is pretty good at holding and rocking him but we have to watch Emily. To her, Cooper is more like her baby doll and she's a little rough with her dolls! Lots of people have been so kind to us since he was born, especially the folks at Shawn's church. They threw us a shower and we had this beautiful cake made to welcome Cooper. We all feel very blessed to have him here.

End of School

Both girls finished school at the end of May with programs. Peyton's Kindergarten class held a graduation ceremony where they wore caps and gowns, received diplomas and performed several songs they learned this past school year. The parents and students were then treated to cake and punch. Emily's class held a program where they also performed songs and showed off some of their artwork. Both girls are glad to be done with school for the summer but are already thinking about what school will be like in the fall. Peyton will be in the first grade, and Emily is excited to go to "big school" to attend Pre-K at Ball Elementary. She got her first uniform shirt the other day and was so proud of herself. She wanted to wear it all night long.

Happy Easter

We enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend together as a family, with limited traveling! We enjoyed a picnic at a local park, soaking up the warm weather and spent the long holiday weekend doing all kinds of things including several church services, an Easter egg hunt, our first crawfish of the season and lots of other fun things.

The girls had a good time at the church's Easter egg hunt - Peyton only found 39 eggs! Emily isn't nearly as aggressive of a hunter as her big sister. Regardless, they got plenty of candy that will last us for weeks. We met the Easter Bunny at the mall and Emily did not flip out, which is a huge accomplishment for her. She actually waved and blew him a kiss, telling him "you better come to my house!" The Easter Bunny definitely did come to our house with "Princess and the Frog" DVD, gardening tools, bubbles, a few other toys and just a little bit of candy.

The girls greatly enjoyed their week of spring break - spending the night with some friends, a lunch date with Ms. Dana, a baby shower in Natchitoches and of course, Easter. Neither was excited to return to school but there are a few more weeks until school is out for the whole summer. They can make it!

Disney World

Our family made a trip to Disney World this February with our friends, the Morgans. They moved from Louisiana to Tallahassee so we took advantage of a long holiday weekend and went to visit them. We then all drove together to Orlando. The first night, we took the kids to Downtown Disney to shop and eat, then got up early the next morning for the Magic Kingdom.

The weather was a little chilly but still sunny. The day flew by as we learned how to navigate the rides and take advantage of "Fast Pass." The girls liked the rides Buzz Light Year, Winnie the Pooh and really liked the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, although they DID NOT like waiting in line. We got to meet Daisy Duck and got to see several of the princesses. It was a really long day and everyone was really tired by the time we left, but we had a great time.

It was fun getting to visit with the Morgan family and the girls loved playing with Alex and John. It was a great trip to take as a family before Cooper makes his arrival.

Baby Shower for Cooper

Friends and family helped host a baby shower a few weeks ago to help Shawn, the girls and I prepare for the upcoming arrival of Cooper. We had a great shower with lots of good food and decorations, including a really cute diaper cake and a "daddy tool belt" for Shawn. The girls got into the spirit by helping unwrap all the presents for Cooper and passing them around for everyone to see. He got a ton of clothes and diapers and much-needed items including a pack 'n play, bath tub and swing. It definitely put us on the right track to be ready for baby. Only about 5 weeks left to go ...

Big Sisters!

Peyton and Emily got practice being big sisters this week at a sibling class at the hospital where we'll have Cooper.

They got to bring their baby dolls and practice diapering them, color a happy birthday card for the baby and eat a birthday cake. The best part was when they got to dress up in hospital gear - scrubs, masks, caps and booties and tour the delivery ward. They got to see the room where the baby will be born, where they measure him, even sneak a peek in the nursery where they saw two little babies.

The girls each got certificates and really enjoyed their time at the hospital and are excited for their little brother to get here - only a few more weeks!

Snow Day!

Like everyone else in central Louisiana, we woke up to a blanket of about 4-6 inches of snow last Friday. It started snowing the night before and the girls went to bed so excited to see what would happen in the morning. They woke up at 6:45 a.m. screaming about how much snow was on the ground. They immediately got dressed and went outside to play, make snowballs and make a snow lady. Emily got cold and didn't like that her feet got dirty but Peyton was pumped to be outside. She even went to our neighbor's house to slide down a small hill with their son, Stevie.

We had to remove the snow from Shawn's truck so we could head to Florida for a weekend trip to Disney World with our friends the Morgans. Ironically, snow flakes followed us all the way down south, even to Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! The girls are preparing for Valentine's Day parties at school and have enjoyed making Valentine's, decorating boxes and getting candy! To celebrate Valentine's Day, President's Day, Mardi Gras, my birthday and anything else we can think of, we're heading to Florida for a getaway to see the Morgans. We'll all travel together for a day at the Magic Kingdom. The girls can't wait!! Pictures to be posted soon ...

Happy 6th Birthday Peyton!

Peyton celebrated her 6th birthday with tons of celebrations during the month of December.

Since her birthday is Dec. 29, we usually have her party early in the month so her friends can attend before they are busy with the holidays. We had her party at The Tree House Children's Museum and the kids were allowed to run around and play in all the different rooms. One of their favorites was the "medical office" where they took turns working on Shawn and Aunt Christy. Her Hello Kitty theme resulted in a lot of pink and purple and caused her cousin to say "this is the pinkest day of my life."

On her actual birthday, we took her, Emily and her good friend Emilee to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel." Everyone loved the movie and the girls loved The Chipettes, especially their songs and dance moves. Later that night, we had pizza and I made a cake for her. We had lots of friends and family come over and we ended having a bigger crowd than we first imagined, but it was a lot of fun.

Today, I took Peyton to get her very first pedicure (a good excuse for me to get one as well!). She absolutely loved it and quickly acclimated to the life of being spoiled and pampered. She got her pedicure and then had her fingernails painted. I think I've created a monster!

Merry Christmas!

Our family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season, filled with visits with family and friends, food and lots of presents! We visited with Aunt Colleen earlier in the week and exchanged Christmas presents. The girls then spent several days in West Monroe with Shawn, playing with some of their new friends from church. Everyone came back home just so we could get ready to drive back to West Monroe together to attend two Christmas Eve services. We drove home that night to get ready for Santa. The girls were tired from the trip home but were excited to get back home into their PJs and leave cookies and milk for Santa.

The girls must have been really tired from the trip because they didn't wake up until 8:30 a.m. Christmas morning! Of course, neither Shawn nor I minded. Once they were up, they raced us to the living room to see what Santa had brought. The girls were excited to find all kinds of things under the tree including new PJs, a Barbie house, digital camera and Hannah Montana Movie for Peyton and a Winnie the Pooh laptop computer, baby doll stroller and other goodies for Emily.

We barely had time to open and play with everything before we headed to Franny's for Christmas breakfast with all the family. Peyton got a cool "Plasma car" and Emily got a fancy new Schwin tricycle that drives superfast! Our next Christmas stop was dinner at Grandma and PawPaw's with all our cousins - Jacob, Brandon, Allie & Zach. The kids had fun playing together and making a gingerbread house. The girls got glittery shoes and matching sleeping bags with a flashlight and water bottle. They are ready for Daddy, PawPaw or Uncle Patrick to pitch a tent in the back yard and go camping outside!!

We've spent the last couple of days throwing packages away, finding a place for all of these toys and clothes, visiting with other friends who have come into town and popping fireworks! We all need a holiday from the holiday - now, it's time to get ready for Peyton's 6th birthday this Tuesday.

Merry Christmas everyone!

It's a boy!

We just learned last week that we're having a boy! Shawn and I had a doctor's appointment and ultrasound last week. They don't let the dads in during the first part of the ultrasound, so when the technician left to get him, I couldn't help but sneak a peek at the screen to see what we were having. It didn't say on the screen, but I was pretty sure I knew that what I was looking at was a boy! She and Shawn came in and when we both looked at the full screen, it was pretty obvious.

We are both really excited about having a boy, especially my husband, who has always wanted a boy. Now, we're starting to think about getting ready for baby - it really won't be that long before we welcome Henry Cooper Hornsby.

Happy Halloween!

As usual, we ended up with way too much candy during our week-long Halloween festivities. Peyton started off the week by having tubes put in her ears during day surgery. We had to get up early and being put under is a little nerve-wracking but by the middle of the day, she was doing great.

Peyton enjoyed a Halloween party at her Kindergarten class and got plenty of goodies - we made Frankenstein brownies for her friends at school. On Friday, Emily took the day to spend with Daddy and went to see Playhouse Disney Live to see all of her favorites - Winnie the Pooh, Darby, Handy Manny and Mickey and Minnie. Peyton and I went to a church Halloween party where we ate dinner, participated in games and crafts and trick or treated. She got waayyy too much candy and even won a real goldfish to take home. Unfortunately, "Goldie" didn't make it through the night. Not sure what happened but we'll have to try again one day soon.

On Saturday, the girls went to a birthday party of their good friend, Emilee Hall and then we quickly changed into costumes to head up to Witch Way to Main Street in Natchitoches. The girls were princesses this year - Peyton was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Emily was Snow White. Tons of people showed up at Witch Way to Main Street and the girls enjoyed seeing all the different costumes and getting more candy. We are done with trick-or-treating!! We have enough candy to get us through the rest of the year!!!