And then there was the pickle....

Fridays are a magical day for us and well, for most. It signifies the end of the week, the beginning of the weekend, but most importantly the freedom to think (notice i said think and not actually do), the freedom to think of all the things we are going to accomplish.

Fridays are especially important for hunter because they are lovingly known as "Ronald McDonald Friday".  I know I know, moms and dads around the world are saying yuuuuck!! but for hunter there is something magical about a happy meal. From the moment I step into the door of the classroom he is saying "friday? Macdonalds?? friday?? Macdonalds??.. French fries are known as frenchies and the pickle on the cheese burger is a glorious piece of gold that only he can discover.

Occasionally I have a brain lapse (hahaha very funny for those that just said Occasionally??) and order a cheeseburger myself. I quickly change my mind after the first bite and just before I toss it, gagging and my scraping the taste off my tongue violently with a napkin, I give my pickles to hunter.

One peaceful Saturday morning I am changing hunter's diaper (which i need to add is poopy) and I grab some wipes to wipe that tooshy clean and well, as i wipe I see that there is a long, dark, textured, string lookin thing hanging out of his bum. In my mind I am FREAKING out thinking "Oh my god, is this a worm? Is this what they look like? Did he swallow something? Is this yarn or fabric from a stuffed animal?? If this is a worm, I will simply pull it out, throw up, and then we will go to the hospital."

All of these thoughts are running through my head. I am trying to keep calm because i don't want hunter to notice I am trying to look at something important and start playing with it so I grab a wipe, take a good grip on this extraterrestrial phenomenon and pull. Now I pull a little and it comes out, I pull more and more comes out. I pulled a good inch or two out of his bum. I lay the wipe down, (on another wipe people, not the table..gross) and finish up with hunter and get him in front of cartoons so i can go investigate without his help.

I turn on a light, grab the wipe, still thinking about everything it could be and just as i look at it i realize i know what it is.....it's his pickle.... rind.

This boy had swallowed his pickles after 1 bite and the fleshy part had dissolved leaving the un-chewed rind to not digest and come out through his poop.


All that's left to say is we will no longer be getting extra pickles. Gross.

Hi ho, Hi ho,..it's off to the Guard we go!

it's official! we are a military family! (reserve that is, take big deep breaths..no we're not moving.) thad swore in last year and going strong ever since! Hunter and I are SO proud of him. Gotta love a man in uniform.

He left for basic last fall and made it home in time for christmas! Now he goes 1 weekend a month and then he will have a longer period he is gone once a year. I will have to get back to you on the length of that one.

We sure do miss him when he's gone but we get to talk regularly. Before he left for basic we had a build-a-bear made with thad's voice so he could tell hunter good night every day. Hunter also kisses daddy in our family photo goodnight and goodmorning. It was pretty darn cute as you can see from the little darling himself above.

We are so proud of daddy for all that he is and all that he does. With everything that you see on the news today and the unhappiness that exists in life, hunter and I are blessed to have such a wonderful daddy and husband in our lives. 

Needless to say our house is very patriotic now for holidays! we have our flags waving away ready for a celebratory weekend! I think we are even going to make some homemade ice cream to go with our neighborhood parade... Enjoy the holidays!

Our Story, The beginning of Camelot...

So i guess there is always a beginning. There's a beginning to every book, article, and project we start. So when thinking to myself, as I sit at the computer and stare at the white screen, "how do I even begin this 'latest hobby'", (those of you that know me, I know understand) I find my mind answering...."its easy Shae, you start in the beginning."

Thad and I are a unique story. We met, both working at the infamous dead lobster, in undergrad. We are unique because we met and married in 5-1/2 weeks.......Are you finished choking yet...Yup, you heard or sorry, read right...5-1/2 weeks. In May, it will now be 8 years. Yes, we know...we're just not normal.

We definitely don't suggest this for others. It was hard in the beginning. Not for lack of love just age and luck, but, we have held on to each other...even if it was just to get a better grip...and to this day are truly still the answer to the other ones prayers.

We made it through undergrad working full time and paying the bills week by week. Eventually it paid off. We graduated, moved to the glorious and proud state of Texas, got jobs, and began enjoying our life. Of course I must add that I had a brain lapse a year after we moved and I decided to go back to school and get my Master's. Phew. ....Like I said, brain lapse but in the end, yet again, it paid off.

After 5-1/2 years of marriage (I am beginning to see a trend with this number) we found out that there was going to be another beginning to a new adventure and the latest love of our lives, besides each other, our baby boy...Hunter Ryan. He is the light in our eyes and the warmth in our hearts...and yes, he was born with the same drooling, pooping, and snot launching capabilities that all babies seem to embrace.

Upon his arrival, we purchased our first home, regained our sanity from that madness, and continued our lives as the stinson family, plus one. Everyday is a new day and we push through it good or bad. We are loud, insanely busy and lets just face it, sometimes a hot mess, but our emotions are genuine and friendships are true.

That, my loves, I guess is the beginning of our story..our own little version of Camelot. Don't hold any of it against us and yes, we know....we're just not normal.