A very sweet start to a sweet relationship!

My heart gets warm and my face immediately smiles each time I look at this picture! I love it so much! This was Owen, Clay and Will's first time to hold Baby Emma Grace, the morning after she was born. Is it not the cutest picture ever? I love their expressions! I pray this is the beginning of a very sweet relationship between these cousins. I never really grew up have a cousin that I was super close to. Later in life I have developed a sweet relationship with one of my cousins and his precious wife. But growing up, we saw our cousins maybe once a year. I hope Zach and Ashley have better memories of "cousin time". I pray that these four (and any future grands!) will be close and have lots of fun times together! In a few years, Emma will be old enough to join in on Knight Camp, something her boy cousins already are experiencing. Knight Camp is for all of Bud and Honey's grands. One more way for these little ones to build memories with us and one another!

It was so sweet to witness this first experience as "Knight Cousins" and we look forward to many more fun times with these precious kids! I have been so teary eyed these past few weeks as I watch these sweet grandkids and realize how very blessed we are! God has so richly blessed us, and we are so thankful!

30 reasons I love our boy!

Our firstborn, is 30 today! How can that be? I feel like the last 30 years has been in fast motion. It seems like yesterday the nurse place him in my arms! Today I want to celebrate Zach. Here are just a FEW of the reasons this young man is so special to me! These are in NO particular order...all 30 are at the top in my heart!

1. He always ends our phone conversation with a "love you"...always
2. Pretty much anytime he leaves on a trip, we find a sweet note tucked away in our house somewhere, thanking us in advance for "covering" things while he is away
3. He is an incredible man of God
4. He loves his wife with his whole heart
5. He not only is the best father to his three sons, but he somehow gives them all individual attention and love
6. He is such a hard worker
7. He loves to help others without anyone knowing
8. He loves to be silly and goofy
9. He loves God's world and makes every effort to take care of it
10. He loves his sister Ashley! We have watched a relationship grow between them from the minute she was born.
11. He has a great laugh
12. His boys melt his tender heart and you can see the love for them in his eyes
13. He is a loyal friend
14. He loves family times
15. He loves to read (and there was a time that I never thought this would happen!)
16. He really cares about our world and it's leaders
17. He has an amazing relationship with his Dad
18. He has a MORE amazing relationship with his Heavenly Father
19. He is always looking for ways to improve himself
20. He works so hard so his sweet wife can be a stay-at-home mom
21. He always has a hug for me! Even at 30 years old!
22. Never fails, when he eats at our house, he is a SUPER helper in the kitchen! He usually cleans it up for me
23. He is involved in their church
24. He is a dreamer, always looking for ways to improve his business
25. He always has a project
26. No matter how busy he is, he will drop everything if he sees someone in need
27. He is always learning something new
28. He loves spending time outdoors in God's beautiful country and sharing that love with his boys
29. He loves our family traditions
30. He has an incredible work ethic

Welcome Miss Emma Grace Snow

I hear Grandparents Day is this weekend but we celebrated a bit early! We welcomed our fourth grandchild and first granddaughter into the world last night at 7:15. She is BEAUTIFUL!!! She is the sweetest, daintiest little thing! Ashley did an amazing job! We have enjoyed a day filled with family, lots of pictures and taking turns holding this precious little one. Emma is 20 1/4 inches long and weighs 6 pounds and 13 ounces. She has a sweet little shaped head and a shadow of auburn hair. Her eyes are a very deep dark blue and she has already completely stolen our hearts. We have learned that being Bud and Honey to these precious little souls is quite fun!!! We are so thankful that God has once again shined His his sweet face down upon us and blessed us with a healthy and perfect in every way little one! Welcome Emma Grace, we love you so much and can't wait to watch what God has in store for you!

Summer fun...

I have to admit I am VERY ready for Fall! The heat and I have not gotten along very well this summer. Has it been that much hotter? Or is it me? Okay, you don't have to answer that. But as summer comes to an end, I thought I would share with you some pictures of summer fun around Honey and Bud's house! Our sweet little boys so enjoy the backyard! Between the sandbox, playing ball, the wading pool (which by the way has quickly become to small!) and popsicles...life is good! We are so blessed! We love time with these three little guys! They are so sweet, full of energy and keep us in stitches with their funny words, expressions and antics! As much fun as it has been, we are ready for cooler weather and the arrival of our 4th grandchild! David and Ashley's baby is due in about 2 1/2 weeks!!! YAHOO!!!! Emma Grace Snow...we are so ready to meet you! The other day when the boys were here, we were talking to them about Emma. Here are some of their thoughts:
How much do you think Emma will weigh?
Clay- as much as Will (wow...Will is 18 months old and a big boy, so we hope this prediction is off a bit!)
How long do you think Emma will be?
Owen-37 inches!
What will Emma's middle name be?
Owen- "Her name will be Emma Austin Snow. (Austin is Owen's middle name of course!)
What should David and Ashley do with Emma?
Owen- Just rock and love her!
Who will Emma look like?
Owen- Aunt Allie (Ashley)
Clay-David's Daddy!
What will you do with Emma?
Clay- Teach her to crawl
Owen-Teach her to walk and read her the book "Joe Cinders" (Owen's very favorite book!
I am pretty sure some of these predictions are off but one thing is for sure, Emma will be loved by these three little guys and they are excited! We cannot wait to add a girl to our wonderful little boy mix! We are so excited. Zach and Meg opened our world up when they blessed us with grandkids...and we can't wait to love on David and Ashley's as well! I have thought a lot about my Mom lately. She was a wonderful Nanny to her grandkids...3 boys and 1 girl! Now, it is our turn to enjoy the same...3 boys and 1 girl! We are very excited!! Okay, now on to some pictures!

Nursery accomplished!

Larry and I returned last night from a fun weekend with David and Ashley. We had several things to deliver. First, the cradle. Larry built a cradle before our son, Zach, was born and now David and Ashley's little one will be the 6th child to start life off sleeping in it. Zach, Ashley, Owen, Clay, Will and soon Emma. It's turning into a family heirloom I guess! Second, we were delivering the dresser. Each grandchild has the huge blessing of their granddad, Bud, building them a dresser. The deal is the parents get to select which one they want and Larry goes to work in the shop. The boys have matching oak dressers. Emma's was painted white and is lightly distressed. We got to help out with some other little projects and when we left the nursery was finished! They are waiting for their rocker which is ordered. The clothes are all washed, folded and ready. Here are a few pictures of the room. Ashley is 37 days away from due date...where did the time go??? We are all excited and ready to meet Miss Emma Grace!

Take a number please!

This past weekend, the Knight family celebrated! We had big things to celebrate! We helped Larry's dad celebrate his 80th birthday and on top of that, Larry's parents 60th anniversary is right around the corner, so we celebrated that too! We had one BIG party!!! We did lots of visiting, took lots of pictures and ate lots of good food! Not all the family was able to make it for the event, which bummed us all, but we had a great turnout! Thanks to everyone for making the trip to the big town of Hawley!

One thing that continues to amaze me is this little fact:

Darrell & Marie had 3 sons. Steve, Danny and Larry (he is my favorite)

Darrell & Marie had 8 grandchildren.

Darrell and Marie have 18 great-grandchildren! EIGHTEEN!!!! With two more on the way!!!

That will be twenty great-grands...and I don't think that is a final number! 

Check out this picture...we had them hold "their number" and even had Ashley and Chandra (our niece who is expecting in December) hold up their # too! 

We love you Darrell and Marie, aka Paw Paw and Maw Maw!

Thanks for all the sweet memories and for your unconditional love!

Summer happenings...

It's true...I am still alive! I have been a terrible blogger lately. Too much going on...won't try to explain but only share with you a few pictures from the fun things we have been able to fit in! Last week, Larry went to Trek with our Hillcrest Teenagers (love you babe and I am so proud of you for climbing yet another mountain!!! Yahoo!!). I went to Fort Worth to see my sweet friends, Pam and Gordon Trice and then on to Mansfield to spend the week with David and Ashley! Yahoo! Ashley and I had a list of things we wanted to do and though we didn't check off everything on the list...we did get a lot done! Here are some pictures of some of our projects!

This is just one peek at Emma's new room...more will follow once it is finished!

Ashley had a doctor's appointment while I was there, so I not only got to meet the doctor, check out the hospital where Miss Emma will be born BUT I also got to hear her precious little heartbeat!! I can hardly wait to meet this little doll. 

Then I returned to Abilene and got to walk with the little boys in the Hillcrest parade! I am so thankful to the ladies who organize this each year! It is such a fun treat for the little kids to get to be in their very own parade and let me tell you, our three grandson take it very seriously...you would think it was the Macy's parade! They love it!!! Here are our growing boys!! Owen, Clay and Will...thank you for making July 4th so much fun! You are the cutest firecrackers around!