Fresh Eats

This past week my in-laws have given us some fresh produce from their garden. Boy is it good! Here are a couple photos of Z's first time eating corn on the cob. It's not his first time at eating corn, but his first time of enjoying it on the cob. We have also enjoyed fresh zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Thanks Karen & Marv. We love it!

Z's first corn on the cob

Man this is good!


For dessert I made an easy dessert that my mom used to make me when I was a kid. It is called "PUDDING IN A CLOUD". When my sister and I were little we thought it was a very special day if we got "Pudding in a cloud". All it is is fat free cool whip covering the entire bottom of the bowl with a scoop of fat free chocolate pudding in the middle. Fancy I tell you. Anyways, here are the photos of Z enjoying his treat.

Yummy...Pudding on a cloud

Thanks Mom this was awesome!

Hil and Zachary's roadtrip to Coffeyville

Zachary and I just returned from a two day road trip to visit one of my best friends, Megan and her family. I could not wait to see Megs, Aaron, Lucy, and the newest member of the Robins family, Violet Lane Robins. Zachary was excited to meet his new friend Lucy. We had the best visit. Prior to coming, I told Megs that we were coming to pamper her. Since Violet just turned 4 weeks old I wanted to come and help her do what ever she wanted me to do. I can't imagine the transition from one to two kiddos. So I brought a few of my favorite recipes to make yummy meals for them. I know it was super hard for Megs to let me take over because she is always the "Martha Stewart" hostess. After 10 minutes with Megs, I realized that she did not need me because she makes being the mother of two beautiful girls look like a breeze. She is such a good mommy and she really tries to enjoy every second.

Here are a few photos of our road trip.

Zachary meeting Miss Violet...not sure about the baby but likes that she has a NINA.

Playing house with Lucy. Yes...Zachary is holding a doll.

Zachary is not ready for a sibling...he thought he was the baby.


Miss Violet Lane Robins...Isn't she beautiful?

Violet and me

Zachary, Lucy, and Violet....new best friends

Megs and Violet

Playing in the ELMO sprinkler

More sprinkler fun

Even though I don't get to spend a lot of time with Megs, like I used to when we were in college, I am so thankful for our visits. Each time we reunite it is like we never parted. We pick up right where we left off. Megs makes me want to be a better mommy, a better wife, and a better listener. These are three of Megs best traits. Thanks for letting us come and take over your house. Zachary already misses his new loves...Lucy & Violet.

Zachary and his girlfriend

In this post I am going to try an recreate two very sweet conversations Kevin and I had with our son. I hope you get the point.

The first conversation was about 2 weeks ago after dinner.
This is a conversation between Kevin and Z.

Kevin: Hey Zach do you have a girlfriend?

Zachary: Yes (in the sweetest little boy voice)

Kevin: Is it your Charley Wasson?

Zachary: No

Kevin: Is it Carina?

Zachary: No

Kevin: Well then who is it?

Zachary: Rachel (again in the cutest, softest voice almost sounding like Ray-chol).

For those readers that do not know. Rachel is my sister and Zachary's aunt. It was super sweet. So this next conversation goes with this. My sister got us tickets to the Springfield Little Theaters summer performance of Disney's Aristocats. Zachary loved it and was often clapping and yelling YEAH after each number. So on the ride home from the theater this is Zachary and mines conversation.

Me: Hey Zachary what was your favorite part of the show? (again he is in the backseat while I am driving) I was expecting to hear..the kittens, the doggy, etc.

Zachary: Rachel (again in the cutest, softest voice almost sounding like Ray-chol).

He definitely loves his Aunt Rachel. This is a photo of Aunt Rachel and Z walking to Jimmie Johns after the performance. Pretty cute huh?

A little boy and his Choo-Choo

A couple nights ago I went into Z's room to pray over him and check on him before I went to bed. This is what I saw.

Z's room was pitch black but when the flash went off it looks like I took this in broad day light. Anyways, most kids sleep with a stuffed animal or blanket. Our son chooses to sleep with a plastic train that my parents gave him. He can't get in his crib without it. The funniest thing is that when he wakes up he plays with the train for about 15 minutes. I know immediately when he is awake because I hear the sound of a Choo-Choo coming from his room. The joys of having a little boy.

Lake Get-Away Weekend

Kev, Hil, and Z in lake

Hayden John and Zachary feeding the ducks

The little boys eating snack

John and Kevin


This past weekend we went to Lake of the Ozarks to meet up with our good friends John, Misty, and Hayden John. Kevin and John were best friends all through out high school and college. It is so nice that we could bring our families together for a fun weekend. Back in January they invited us to Misty's parents house at the lake. We attempted to find a free weekend in our calendars and the only weekend that works for everyone was July 17-20 (Which happened to be our five year anniversary). We could not wait to see them and have a weekend away. I have to admit that with everything going on here with Mel, the practice, and stuff I started to have doubts that we should not go. But I did not want to cancel since we had it planned for so long. Ended up it was just what we needed. We arrived to Misty's parents on Thursday afternoon where we were greeted by the entire crew. We unpacked, had lunch, and went outside. Misty's parents, Jeannie and Gary, have quite the set up. It was wonderful. Zachary played very well with Hayden John. He loved playing outside with all of their wonderful trucks and toys. The weekend was filled with lots of yummy food, great conversations, fun times in the boat on the lake, swimming, and an anniversary celebration. It was so nice to be able to pick up exactly where we left off last fall with John & Misty. It is like no time has passed between us. Thank you Ms. Jeannie, Mr. Gary, John, Misty, and Hayden for everything. We had a blast and made lots of memories. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

John, Misty, and Hayden

Misty and Hilary

Zachary and Snickers (our favorite doggy in the world)

Zachary's 1st boat ride! He's relaxed

Ha Ha Tonka Group Photo

Our 5 Year anniversary!

Today is our five year anniversary. If I knew how to use our fancy scanner I would post a picture of our wedding day 5 years ago. But I don't so I will post a recent picture of Kevin and I. It's hard to believe that five years has come and gone. We have done a lot of things these past five years and made a ton of good memories. This weekend we went to the lake with our good friends, John & Misty. That is another blog entry but I wanted to make a quick post to Kevin before we started our rental movie and popcorn. Kev, you are such an amazing husband, best friend, father and companion. You always know the right thing to say and the way to handle any situation. No matter what you always put your faith in God first. I love that about you. I am so glad I get to wake up beside you each day. I love you, HIL

A good night!

I had to share this photo of Z. Tonight I dropped Z off at my Aunt Kelli & Uncle Kelley's house while I went up to the hospital to see Mel. My Uncle has a motorcycle. When we walked up to their house Z spotted it and began saying "By-ke By-ke". He was so excited to see a bike. When I returned from the hospital we put Z on the bike. He LOVED IT! Thanks Kelli & Kelley for watching him while I went to see Mel! I appreciate it. He is still making a motorcycle noise and is saying "By-ke".

As for the update on Mel tonight....SHE IS DOING FABULOUS! I mean FABULOUS! I was so impressed with her color, her alertness, her lack of bandages and medical stuff, and most of all her positive attitude. She was doing great. She was beaming ear to ear that the cancer was gone!!! Of course she does have pain but that is what her morphine pump is for. She thanks God over and over for such a great day. Thank you again for your prayers, support, and e-mails. This has been a great day. A day that the Lord made. I will rejoice and be glad.

Mel's out of surgery!

I just got home from the hospital. I am please to report that Mel is doing great. Here are the details. She arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am with Ryan and her parents. She was taken back to surgery around 6:50 a.m. They told us that she would be in surgery approximately 4 hours. At 9 a.m. Dr. Cavanaugh came out and informed us that she was doing great. That the mastectomy was completed. He said the cancer was isolated to the right breast. Praise the Lord! At 11:00 a.m. Dr. Jeter the plastic surgeon came out to say that he was done with the reconstruction and placement of the expanders. Mel did fantastic!!! They were very pleased that she did not lose a lot of blood. After an hour in recovery she got a PRIVATE room. Another prayer request answered.

Currently, Melody is sleeping in her room. She will probably be out of it most of the day. Her family and I cannot thank you enough for your prayers. Please keep them coming. If I hear anything else I will be sure to update the blog. Mel's Cancer Free....Thanks be to God!

Pray for MEL

Tonight I am asking for a lot of prayers for my friend Melody. She is supposed to check in the hospital early tomorrow for her double mastectomy. There are a lot of specifics that you can pray for....(in no particular order)
* Pray for Melody that she can relax tonight and get a good night of rest.
* Pray for her husband, parents, and in-laws while they wait in the surgical waiting area tomorrow morning.
* Pray for her two year old Charley that she will be okay and understanding that her mommy cannot pick her up for a couple weeks.
* Pray for her surgeon & plastic surgeon that they will be able to remove all the cancer and that they will do their very best in putting her back together again.
* Pray for good news that the cancer is still contained to the tumor and that it is not in the lymph nodes or bloodstream.
* Pray for her nurses & caregivers.
* Pray that she gets a private room.

Any time you get a free moment please remember her in your thoughts and prayers. It's going to be a big day. I know that God is going to take good care of her and at the end of tomorrow she will be CANCER FREE. Thanks in advance for your prayers. If you would like to read Mel's story click HERE.

Peacock girls luncheon

Peacock Girls Luncheon
In the Photo (Left to Right): Lauren, Kathy, Donna, Lisa, Natalie, Rachel, Aunt Mary, and Me




Yesterday was a wonderful day. My sister and I got together with my Aunt Mary, my cousins Lisa, Donna, Kathy, Natalie, and Lauren. After my uncle Charlie passed away suddenly, we realized that we do not spend enough time together as a family. So we decided to get together for lunch, shopping, and girl time. We had a lot of fun. We went to Sandstone Gardens in Joplin and enjoyed a nice lunch in their bistro. Unfortunately, my mom was out of town at my aunts funeral in Pennsylvania, my Aunt Sharon was unable to come down, and my Aunt Lou was in St. Louis. We all decided that we would just have to do it again when everyone could be there.

Bye Bye Boobies!

This past week I hosted a party. It was not a birthday party, an anniversary party, or a party like I have ever been to before. It was a party celebrating life. It was a party showing love, support, and friendship. It was a Bon Voyage to Mel's Boobies party. You might wonder what it was. Well, as you know, my best friend Mel has breast cancer and will be having a double mastectomy this week. When she was first diagnosed she mentioned having a going away party for her boobies. So we did just that. We all got together in honor of Melody at a restaurant downtown. Here are some pictures of the party. If you want to see more click here to view Mel's photos.
Bon Voyage to Mel's Boobies Party Pictures

Cupcakes for the party

The guys at the party


This is what I have learned since Mel was diagnosed. Appreciate your family, appreciate your friends, appreciate your hair, appreciate your body (even if you would rather have that runway model physique), appreciate your church, and most of all appreciate your life and all that God has given you.

Awesome Weekend!

Warning...this is going to be a LONG blog. Kev, Z, and I had the best 4th of July Weekend. First, we spent the Fourth with both sets of our parents. We piled into my parents mini-van to head to Silver Dollar City. It was awesome. Z got to ride the Choo-Choo, we saw a Circus on Ice, rode the kiddie rides, and we shared lunch together. It was a great day as a family. On the evening of the 4th we went to the Wasson's to enjoy fireworks! Did I say enjoy? Zachary was scared out of his mind. But 30 minutes into it he realized it was not that bad. We had a great time with Mel, Ryan, and Charley.
SDC with Pa Pa Marv & Pops

Choo-Choo with Daddy

Riding the rides with mom


Saturday we dropped Z off with my parents and headed to St. Louis. We crashed at our good friends, Ryan & Becki's new house. It was a blast! We enjoyed every second with them. Dinner at the LARGEST Chinese buffet was the highlight of Kev's night. I enjoyed shopping at Babies R Us with Expectant Mommy Becki. The night was topped off by several games of Wii. It was so much fun. I wish you could see Becki bowl. I have never laughed so hard in my life. I wish I videoed it. Our visit at Hotel DE Moss was so great. Thank you guys!
Kevin and Ryan at the largest Chinese Buffet I have ever seen.

The guys helping Becki select a glider for Miss Libby.



Then on Sunday we headed to Busch stadium. Kevin's co-workers gave us 2 tickets to the St. Louis Cardinals Game for his Christmas present. These were not "regular" tickets. They were tickets to the Champions Club. Boy, did we feel like champions. Air-condition, all you can eat buffet & drinks, seats on a shaded patio with a ceiling fan right on 3rd base. What more could we ask for? IT was awesome. Not too many things could top this day, unless the Cardinals could have won. We did pick up the coolest souvenir for the Z-man. It was a Build-A-Bear Fredbird. Kev selected 2 sounds to go in the bird...they really know how to get Daddy's to buy extras. We both made a wish and kissed the heart for this animal. It was hilarious. After the game, Kevin and I checked in to the Westin hotel right across from the stadium. Talk about luxury. I will post pictures of our room. If you are ever staying in St. Louis stay there!!!! After cooling off, we walked down to the Arch, to Lacede's landing, ate dinner at a local dive, and then returned to our room. It was so great spending time with Kev. We missed Zachary so much, but we knew he was being well taken care of and loved at my parents. He did not miss us at all. Thanks Mom & Dad!

Going into Busch Stadium Kev & Ryan

Hil & Beck going into the stadium

GO Cards!

Group Photo

In front of Champions Club!

Kev enjoying All you can eat Buffet

Build A FredBird Build-a-Bear


Monday morning we awoke in our "heavenly bed". It was great...again stay at The Westin. Kev walked several blocks to bring me a Starbucks. Isn't he great. We then drove down to Kevin's old stomping grounds. Hillsboro! We were only there for a short time but we saw most of the old and new places. We were thrilled to stop by our dear friends, Erick, Mary, Riley, and Carter's pad. We were expecting McDonalds for lunch but were happily surprised by Chef Bobby Flay..I mean Chef Erick. Gosh it was remarkable. Thank you guys! After the drive home we could not wait to see our little man. He greeted us at my parents door and was tickled with his souvenir.
Our luxurious hotel room.

Westin Hotel across from stadium

Mary, Erick, Riley, Carter and Casey

Back at home in his Build-A-Fredbird Box

Tonight we are both counting our blessings. We are so truly blessed with an awesome family and wonderful friends.

Happy 4th Decorations!

I recently have receive a few e-mails from friends to see if I decorated my house for Independence Day. In previous blogs I have shared my holiday decorations and they wondered if I forgot to post my summer decorations. With everything that has happened this summer with my family, Mel, and stuff, I have been slow to post my decorations. There has been SO much more on my mind than silly decorations. This morning I actually had a free second to post my decorations. So here are my decorations. I hope everyone has a nice 4th of July. Enjoy your 3 day weekend and time with family, friends, and food. Love HIL

Front Door Wreath


Hanging Stars over my basement stairs


Table decorations and photos


Up close of decoration stand


Kitchen Table Candle Decorations