I REALLY NEED TO BE BETTER ABOUT BLOGGING.

You know this is true when one blog post has a billion pictures. I have been slacking!

To begin the swamping of pictures... I start with THEE cutest picture from our beach experiences. We absolutely love Emily Tranter. She and Hudson have become quite acquainted from all our get-togethers and it is adorable how they stick together and wander around.

TWOO WUV....

The aftermath of playing out in the heat and sunshine: Hudson guzzled his milk then zonked. 

The only time Hudson played with our own beach toys. Had to capture the moment. The second we arrive to the beach he's off and on business making new friends and stealing toys that look cooler than his own. That's our boy!

I think we run this poor lil pup into the ground. But we gotta make hay while the sun shines! Another aftermath of the heat and sunshine...

Emily: What kind of species Hud???
Hudson: I dunno doc. Staring contest, you and me, GO!

Couldn't help but let the lyrics to "Sandman" by America flow through my head...

"Funny, I've been there and you've been here
And we ain't had no time to drink that rootbeer...
Cause I understand you've been running from the man
That goes by the name of the Sandman.
He flies the sky like an eagle in the eye
Of a hurricane that's abandoned."

Totally irrelevant other than the title.

Still working on getting all the sand out of all the cracks...

What the???! Camo-moth? I about died when I saw this beast on the front landing of our house. He was the size of both my hands together! Now Thomas would say that isn't saying much, but all I know is this thing crossed the border into birdom. Or aircraft for that matter. 

A couple weekends ago I became a mother of 5. Hudson loved being doted upon and entertained, even if it meant playing with dolls. I would adopt these kids in a heartbeat. Love em'.

They won Thomas' heart double time by washing his car. They are hired!

We even put Hudson to work.

Such a big boy. He has about 50 terrifying molars, walks around the house growling and jabbering commands while pointing to his belly button, WHILE trailing his blankie behind. He has officially qualified himself as a toddler.

For the Young Women activity last week we took the girls to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. I love these girls. 

Hudson enjoyed the attention from all the girls. Do his pink cheeks give away that it was a million degrees to boot??? 

Making sand mustaches with a little taste testing involved. I still don't get why he has to eat at least a handful of sand every time we go... that can't be good on the pipes!

This guy wears his sunglasses at night. Oh yeah.

Our beloved Spencer came in to see us for a quick day and a half. We made the most of it  by heading down into the city where we caught a baseball game playing by 1860's rules, going to Ravinia outdoor amphitheater to listen to the Chicago Symphony and Orchestra/chase Hudson around for 2 hours, eat at the "q" barbecue house where we broke about every diet restriction Spence was supposed to be abiding by. Why do I feel like such a bad influence?

Here are the baseball boys and the "plump ump".  No joke. This guy was perfect for the part. It was awesome.

Hudson has really revved up the jabbering. It is particularly amplified in small areas---especially in public where everybody's eyes seem to be screaming "QUIET YOUR CHILD!" We tried to get him into our BBQ pork sandwiches and beans, but he just kept choosing to gnaw on the crayons that the server gave him. What is a 1-year-old supposed to do with crayons???

When going downtown, we love to park by the infamous "HUDSON AVE."  Everyone should have at least one picture taken by their street name in their lifetime. Doesn't Hudson look thrilled?

Ravinia with Spencer: We brought all the guns to the show to keep this little guy entertained and happy, but nevertheless....we were forced to explore the grounds instead after some adorable choo choo time.

Our last goodbye before taking Spencer to the airport...always sad to see him go, but SO glad he came to see us! Thanks for the memories bro!

A Little Sunshine In The Soul

First of all, it has been SOOO nice to have a husband again after a long and tedious first year of graduate school for Thomas. Hudson is also very happy to have his "Da" back for the summer:) We have been trying to take full advantage of the low key summer break to spend time as a family. It has been refreshing to spend time at our beloved Lake Michigan beach, various parks, playgroup, and to put an extra spin into our summer... we are moving! A whoppin' 1.1 mile away. (Updates to follow) We are moving up in the world and have decided to move into a two bedroom apartment! WOOO HOO! About time I'd say:)

Having a "whale of time" at the park. Gotta love the shovel in hand:) Anything with a handle is Hudson's pal. 

Hudson is a big kid now. I have come to grips with this reality, but haven't embraced it just yet. He roams all around so independently it is fun to watch how excited he gets to have space to just RUN.  What can I say, he's a kid. A thoroughbred little boy. And we love him!

The boys at playgroup... Filthy dirty and having the time of their lives. This humidity is a killer when it's in the 90's/100's! But it doesn't seem to phase them...

We have totally become beach bums. If we had the option and could survive with a cooler of food, we would consider living in a tent and being legit beach bums. I don't know how Tom and I would look with dreads, but I know Hudson would:) Hudson borrowed one of our friend's little girl's chair. Our son is sporting the pink. We have got to get him a more masculine chair...

Eating sand still hasn't gotten old. WARNING: I'm pretty sure the side effects include the runs. Not so recommended if it can be avoided.

Family Fill

Before heading out to Utah during Thomas' break from school, we were looking forward to doing as much as we could with two things in particular: 1) the family and 2) our long lost Rocky Mountains! Fortunately for us, we were able to fit both family and a lot of beautiful hikes into those weeks spent in Utah.

Donut Falls

Also, I was also able to add a little ruffle to the beach blanket I told myself I finished a month ago... I feel like it was a good enhancement:) We are now officially ready to beach!

Memorial Day family rocket launch! One of the favorite holiday traditions in the Wright family. Best rocket award goes to Bill---hands down. Nothing beats a 6 feet tall exploding rocket in mid air. A close second is also Bill's...the double loaded jet rocket that nearly killed us all.

Our new sister-in-law Sammie! We love you and are happy you can dish it back to Daniel and keep him in his place:) 

Camping in Panquitch was a blast with the Montague's. We ate tons of good food, went on some beautiful scenic tours given by me-ol' Paps---he should have been a nature adventurer. He showed us spawning fish, nesting mallards, we were given exhibits of squirrel eating habits, and he even caught 20 fish before the sun was up one morning. Go Dad! Hudson thought it was a non-stop party and consequently kept us up all night EVERY night...Memorable. Last time we're invited.

Our friends, the Barton's, little girl Jane. She and Hudson are exactly 3 months apart and we just had to snap a picture of them together given she is the cutest thing ever! Not to mention, they live in Florida... What??? Miss them.

Can you tell our boys, Rockwell and Hudson, couldn't get enough of the ducklings on the lake. They made our 1 mile hike up Bell Canyon worthwhile!

Grandeur Peak shouldn't be hiked with a 25 lbs. baby in a Bjorn. End of story. We had no idea what kind of hike we were up for, but sure loved that we survived! All I gotta say is Jennie Tranter is amazing. Rock solid. Tough. Wanna be you.

Hudson had the time of his life being around all 16 cousins of his. Could not get enough. He definitely took a good beating as well:) He quickly learned that you gotta be tough to survive as the youngest of the boys. (Oh, and he is on a downward slope in this picture... not taking after his Mom's height...)

This is on the Saw Mill hike off of Wasatch. Absolutely beautiful. We wore our little guy out!

Camping was hilarious. Hudson was rummaging through the dirt and was filthy the entire time. I had to learn to relax! I was thinking because he walks that it would be a cleaner experience, but I quickly found he enjoyed rolling in the dirt far more than walking around it.

Grandpa was making Hudson laugh, but I think he made us laugh even harder. Love campfire humor. 

Squaw Peak. Another beautiful mountain experience!

For Memorial weekend, we went to visit many family graves, including Megan. It is always a sweet and tender experience for the family.

Great Grandpa and Grandma Montague!!! So nice to spend time with them! We have missed them greatly. Can we take you home to Chicago??? Pretty please?

Pacho. He REALLY enjoyed dessert after the BBQ at Mike and Melissa's:)

Why Not Have 2 Cakes and Eat Em' TOO?

As of June 3rd, our baby turned 1!!! Wow, what a happy and memorable year it has been since little Hudson joined our family. We love our forever BABY that has recently declared his independence from Mom and Dad and right for "boyhood" :) And what a perfect time to celebrate the occasion---out in Utah with LOTS of cousins and wonderful family! In fact, we celebrated in Saint G with my folks and in Alpine with both sides of the family just for an excuse to throw 2 parties and eat cake twice:) Here are pictures from both happy occasions....

Saint G. Party:
Ever since we made the train our literal next door neighbor, Hudson has had a fascination with trains. His little head perks up when our friendly "choo" hustles down the tracks and blows its oh-so-loud horn. It has got to be one of my favorite looks as he waits for me to note the trains approach---he gets so disappointed if I don't pay my respects! THUS, trains were made the theme.

Hudson enjoyed the icecream cake but let us know he wished it weren't so cold. That meant more for Mama! Love me some DQ icecream cake. Mmmmm Mmmm! Let's be honest, his birthday was much more an event for his Mom than himself. 

The spoon became more amusing than the cake...so easily entertained---or distracted. Hudson also realized being the star and main attraction for every second of the day wasn't half bad:) He quickly learned how to put on a show.

LOVED this balloon...played with it for roughly 5 hours. I was a fan of it myself. Good job Grandma!

Sporting the "1" with Grandma. This is also the precious birthday blanket made especially for Hudson from Grandma with lots of love. Thank you Grandma!

Favorite moment of the day: Grandpa and Hudson, just chillin'... Hudson was more than content to drive the coat rack as a make-shift tractor with Grandpa's awesome sound effects:) Love these two.

This is the Alpine birthday with an official birthday hat and bow-tie:)  Love our supportive family! We had tons of food, a pinata, and cake of course. A huge thank you to the amazing hosts Melissa and Michael Hatch, and for Lisa's expertise in adding to the decorations and overall style of the event! And a thanks to all our wonderful family for coming and supporting!!!

Once again, more fascinated with the tool rather than the object. Way to go cousin Johnny for busting the snot out of this party hat! Oh, if it could only rain candy bars everyday.

Tasty cake #2. We had a creative flare on the decorating of this one didn't we Melissa?:) 

Some of the clan and probably the most adorable cousins in the world and a few of my amazing sisters-in-law. Priceless.

A Shout Out to Mothers EVERYWHERE!!!

Mother's are completely inspiring. I am in awe at my Mom, my mother-in-law and Thomas' mom Marian, grandma's, friends, WE LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUCH! Thank you for all the incredible examples of motherhood in our lives!

As of today, I experienced my 1st legit Mother's Day! Woo woop, joining the ranks. Last year at this time, I was pregnant and about to POP with Hudson and I was beyond thrilled to be a mother, but boy, I didn't have a clue at what this role would entail! What a miracle it has been to help me grow in a ways I could never put into words. My life revolves around tiny toes and little hands and sweet potatoes on chubby cheeks. I could never be happier doing anything else at this time in my life! Being a mother is a wonderful gift from God. I feel so blessed to be Hudson's mother:)

For Mother's Day, I requested a silly gift from Thomas. .. I  have watched as Hudson't hands just keep doubling in size and I wanted to freeze a memory of their little cuteness. Long story, cut short, we got covered in black ink as we worked to get a baby to cooperate by giving us his prints. An impossible feat to accomplish alone. But do-able with Thomas' help. We were covered in black ink by the end of it! Can't begin to explain how much I love the framed prints of my Hudson:) Thank you Thomas!

We enjoyed the sunshine today as a family before Thomas finishes 3 big tests for this last week of his first year in Podiatry school. Today, we just soaked in the mellow nature of Sunday and what a blessing it has been this year to have a day to reset mentally and rejuvenate spiritually.

Love that Hudson was able to go barefoot and fancy free, and he obviously did as well:)

We're working on getting some sunshine. Our pale bodies need some lovin'!!!

Amazing how a big smile and a little giggle can make this now one of my favorite holidays!

Beach It Up Baby!

As of late, Hudson took his first steps last week after walking around on his knees the weeks before. He still prefers crawling, but is quickly becoming more confident with walking each fall. He also hit his 11 month mark! It almost caused a minor heart attach when I realized how quickly this year has flown by and how BIG my little baby now is. Thomas keeps informing me, he is not a baby anymore. Tears. I also quit pumping (my method of breastfeeding for the last 11 months)... I got super emotional as I thought about what a miracle it has been to be able to keep my milk going through solely pumping, not to be finished feeling married to a breast pump! It was definitely a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father. He knew my desire to breastfeed Hudson and blessed me to work through several bumps along the way (that I won't go into). Who wants to hear a Syd pitty party??? Me neither. What it really comes down to is that, God is so mindful of each of us! What a feat it was to get through even a day. I just got totally burnt out from the whole experience. I'm a free woman! FREEDOM and GRATITUDE all in one!

Our new beach quilt!!! I tried a rag quilt this time around. Turns out when I compiled all the squares, rows and columns, there wasn't much of a quilt left... We may have to lay "sandwich style" on the blanket and rotate the person that gets the bottom and top. Sounds like a quality beach experience for the whole family right? Next time, I probably won't go the rag quilt route when I want a lot of space to be covered. 

Our sunning walrus. Although deceiving, I am referring to the baby, not the Mom lying in the back:) I swear I have a baby picture of me that looks exactly like this. I gotta find it!

Looks can be deceiving. I am convinced babies come so cute to appear innocent and harmless. But Hudson has officially declared war on our house. Nothing is orderly anymore (if it ever was). He loves to empty drawers, cabinets, bookshelves and you can bet that anything you leave unattended, is certainly going to be explored via mouth/saliva. His favorites include the remote controller to the TV, my sewing machine foot pedal, the cell phone charger, measuring tape, and don't get me started with how big of a help Hudson was with the beach quilt:) He would hold his hand on the scissors and feel the "power" as they cut, grinning from ear to ear. Getting anything done took much, much more time with my little helper around.

Hudson has really started enjoying the beach. He will crawl 100 mph like a crab to the sea, and get clobbered by a wave and love every minute of it. It is a messy clean up afterward, but super entertaining! 

Thomas had his White Coat Ceremony this last week and we got to celebrate his entering into the medical field. An exciting step along our long journey! He is legit and for sure too legit to quit... Lame I just brought those music lyrics into our blog.

We have really enjoyed the swings and playground in general. He is now big enough to actually enjoy the thrill of being a kid.

Although Lake Michigan is still icy... Brrrrrrr. It feels really refreshing to  jump in  when it is hot and humid. Both of which we have plenty of come summer.  Don't mind if I do!