Tuesday, December 23, 2008

hi guys. I hope everybody's enjoying their christmas season. i, like everyone else, feel like i have to use my blog as a platform for exhortation, so i just have one little story.
hannah and i were looking for something very special today, and things were a little crazy, of course. it was a group of shops around a little courtyard. we were walking around hurriedly, and heard christmas music. then i noticed there were real live carolers, all dressed up in period costumes. they were just beautiful. hannah and I stopped and listened for a while, and i noticed we were the only ones. everyone else was running around crazy distracted with spending entirely too much money on things like $20 barbecue sauce. (We'd come from Williams Sonoma.) Then Hannah got a candy cane out of the deal :-). The moral of the story: stop and listen to the carolers.

Sorry we've been out of touch. I've had all kinds of pictures i've even edited, but our internet has been down. And I didn't bring the adapter for my memory stick, so i can't do it now. we had all kinds of pictures from our texas christmas activities. but i guess you'll have to wait!

we are in Virginia now. The drive from Texas to NC went really well, after a rocky start with an ice storm in dallas. i only had a twinge of apprehension about doing our roadtrip by myself, but it was fine. then of course, the 5 hrs from NC to VA was a breeze. Patrick gets here tomorrow, he's trying to go standby. on christmas eve. wish him luck. (he does have a ticket, but he doesn't get in until 10.30 pm)

We had a great time in NC, Hannah learned alot of new words. especially "NO, MINE!" she had to use that alot with her cousins :-). she did well with baby emerson. who is also doing well, btw. i only heard her cry once the whole week. anyways, sorry about the pictures. i'll make up for it. Merry Christmas, guys.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008



so before i launch into my captions, i have to tell you a story. i found a babysitter at the church we visited sunday, and she was available last night, so we had our first date night it what seems like an awfully long time! last night was important because it was a very important (as far as football goes :-) game for our team, the panthers. they were tied with the bucs for first in the division. (they are no longer, btw. go panthers!) so there were 3 businessmen there from the lake norman area that we talked to a bit. when it was over, we were having terrible storms, tornado sirens and everything. they asked for a lift back to their hotel, so they piled in the backseat. Patrick was telling them how nice it was for us to be out finally, and how he appreciated me using up our rare date night on a football game. there was complete, somewhat awkward silence in the back, then one man said somewhat sarcastically, "what are you guys, honeymooners?" we didn't know what to say. but it served as a sad reminder that for so many people, marriage is not the incredible gift of a best friend God meant it to be, and to cherish each other and our relationship so when we have been married as long as those 'gentlemen' have, we still want to spend time together. by God's grace, we will. so, the pictures. you can't really see on the left, but she had more yogurt on her clothes than in her mouth, i'm sure. i could just give her cheetos, like patrick saw one mother doing. that wouldn't make such a mess. . .


even if we can't do much else at christmas, i always do a shoebox for OCC (operation christmas child). patrick was so funny picking out the toys for his little boy - he took forever deciding! next year, hannah can do one too, i hope.


she was having a great time looking at herself in the mirror, before patrick put it up on the dresser. i hope that isn't too indecent :-). if there are any idealistic, somewhat self-righteous, childess women out there who are criticizing me for letting her run around naked, i'm terribly sorry. she pitches a fit every time i try to change her. and if you go back to the yogurt picture, you'll see we have to change her alot. sometimes it just isn't worth it. reading back on this after i published it, i realized i am being the idealistic self-righteous one for critizing the mother feeding her child cheetos. sorry. but at least running around naked isn't actually going to hurt her, right?


i know my family laughs at me, but here's my baby getting ready to enjoy the texas winter. yes, texas has a winter. of sorts. it was at least 50. on the right, you can see patrick's going to open a salon if the whole aircraft sales doesn't work out.



these are from our churches's all saints day festival. i got this outfit for $5. do you think if we have a boy next he can wear it too? i love it. my little strawberry!

Friday, December 05, 2008

I am proud to announce the arrival of a new life into the world. My Precious niece,
Emerson Rose Fulk
was born a few days ago. She weighed over 9 lbs, and everyone is doing good. (No sleep, of course, but que sera.) We are so excited to have another beautiful little girl, and Hannah won't be the baby anymore. We can't wait to meet her, we leave for NC in 10 days. I don't have pictures yet, but you can go to www.photographybychadwick.com, then client sideshows on the bottom, then click on baby fulk. or they may have put her name there now.
Welcome, precious baby. We love you.

Monday, December 01, 2008


We got home last night from a wonderful time in Kansas. Everything really was perfect except Hannah has had a nasty cold and couldn't sleep well. Thankfully we had lots of help around. Patrick and I were extremely frustrated. We tried lots of things, including sitting up late in the bathroom for a steam bath and patrick driving Hannah around for hours so she, and the rest of us, could sleep. this was at 4 am, btw. Last night at home was the first time we didn't have screaming fits in the middle of the night. yeah! we also really missed brett and jes, who were with her family this year. we'll see them at christmas.


Just like the rest of us, Hannah enjoyed eating. She would have eaten the whole basket of Grandma Loretta's rolls, if I'd let her. And she no longer lets anyone feed her, so eating is a messy business. we took to using a towel tied around her neck, like the hairdresser. and vinyl tablecloth on the floor.

We drove around the lights in the park one night, and Hannah really enjoyed it. We found a cowboy who was pulling his own christmas tree, but you can't see the tree. and also a moose. so we've got our canadian and texas heritage together :-).


stylin ladies.

We always miss Grandpa Vic and wish he could have met Hannah, but I am still so grateful she can spend time with 3 of her (very fun and active) great grandparents.



all we're missing is the hat


Hannah and Pop-Pop, holding up the convenience store.
my favourite thing was getting to see so much of patrick!

Patrick and I barely saw Hannah, it seems. I'm surprised she remembered me when we got home! Des had alot more pictures of family, that I'm going to steal at Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, I decided to drive, for a few reasons. Hannah and I will be in Charlotte for a week, then meet Patrick for a week in Virginia. I'm really excited. My mom will be in Charlotte too. Then after Christmas Patrick and are going away for a night, to colonial williamsburg to celebrate our anniversary. very excited! i decided i'm kind of lonely in this (relatively) big house, just me and Hannah. after everyone together and all, I don't want to be here by myself. (guest room, remember, folks? :-)
Her vocabulary is growing every day, it's amazing. I'm not sure what all she knows how to say, but she communicates alot. we're working on 'love you'. i'll keep you posted.
ps. no baby yet, but any day now. and that would be meghan, not me.