A North Texas record! Today, for the first time in recorded history on Christmas Eve there has been enough snowfall to be measureable. 3 inches is what was reported near us at DFW Airport. 3 inches is exactly what I measured in our yard! I know that’s small potatoes to you northerns, but for Texas today was a big deal!
Lindsey and I both shot some photos and video of the excitement today. Her from home and me from the office. Enjoy!
Jiff wasn’t a fan of his new neck accessory after his surgery and Matt and I had to capture his humiliation. However, he was thankful we didn’t let the other dogs in the neighborhood see him wearing the Cone of Shame.
Not only is our little boy growing but so is our puppy. Matt came home this past weekend with Jiff’s “Big Dog” collar. It was sad to see his little puppy collar go but it is nice to know that with each new collar we get further away from the puppy stage.
Speaking of puppy…Jiff has been a GREAT well behaved puppy until last weekend. I woke at 6:30 AM on Sunday to a banging noise. As I ventured into the living room I saw a large dark spot on the carpet but I couldn’t make out what it was. Of course I had a sinking feeling that Jiff had been up to something mischievous. It turned out that during the night he had decided to EAT one of our poinsettia plants. After dragging it into the living room he dumped the plant, shook off the dirt and chewed it up! There was dirt all over the living room, chewed up leaves and stems, as well as the pot. Thankfully he was not poisoned by the plant but he did find himself sleeping in the kennel for the rest of the morning. I guess Jiff was reminding us that he needed some attention. We are working harder at balancing our time between Jiff and Dean.
Here’s a shot I snapped half way through the clean up. For some reason I just wasn’t thinking about capturing the moment when it first happened!
2009 is here! Matt and I are eagerly looking into the new year with excitement and anticipation of great things. We look forward to continuing to grow as parents while we watch Dean learn and grow.
2008 was an amazing year. At the start of the New Year Matt was continuing his work in Ft. Worth at NBC Artworks and I in Humble at Atascocita Middle School. Matt continued to make sacrifices and drove between the two cities through July. We enjoyed seeing our friends and family in Humble but knew that a move to Ft. Worth was on the horizon. During the last week of June we loaded up all of our belongings and headed north to Bedford. For the first time Matt and I would have all of our belongings in one place with the goal of settling in this new city.
Matt has continued to work for NBC and has taken on a new role helping develop the new interactive team at Artworks, while still working with the broadcast group designing and animating graphics for NBC affiliate stations across the nation. In addition you can see some of his latest work on the iCue game – What’s Your iCue – created for Facebook. If you’re a Facebooker, check out http://www.whatsyouricue.com for that. He continues to be challenged with his career and appreciates the experience NBC Artworks brings.
I have continued to work as a school counselor moving from the middle school level in Humble to the high school level. I am loving my new position at Colleyville Heritage High School. God has certainly blessed me with an amazing group of women and men to work with. They are always willing to lend a hand when Matt or I need help.
In February of 2008 Matt and I learned we were going to be parents! This was such exciting news for us and has been the highlight of our 2008 year. We enjoyed sharing the news of our child’s birth with our family and friends and anticipating the event through out the year. Dean Thomas Hopkins joined our family on November 11th at 9:46 PM. Sharing the job of parenting has been such a rewarding experience I can’t wait to see what the next year will bring.
Jumping back in time – In the summer of 2008 (May) I finished my master’s degree and graduated from Sam Houston State University, the same day Matt’s brother Adam married the love of his life, Genie. Matt and I enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Seguin, Texas celebrating the start of their new life together. Congratulations again Adam and Genie!
On June 10th, Matt and I celebrated our 2nd year of marriage, we couldn’t (can’t) believe how time is flying.
In the fall of 2008 we were blessed with another addition to our house, we adopted an 8 week old Australian cattle dog (Red Healer), Jiff. Jiff has been a welcomed addition to our home and has brought much joy and excitement to our household, and by household I mean, Matt really loves Jiff . I have to say, Jiff is a very smart dog and has picked up the tricks/commands Matt has taught him like it was nobody’s business. We’re glad to have him as part of our family.
In addition to Jiff, our home served as an evacuation resort for the Hopkins/Medley family during Hurricane Ike. We were excited to have Matt’s family visit but, were sad that it had to be under such circumstances. Matt and I have never been so thankful to live away from the gulf coast.
So, we close the chapter of 2008 with great memories and look forward to 2009. Of course, we again have made our resolutions and have even more grand goals for the New Year but most of all we’re looking forward to all the excitement it’s going to bring. You know we’ll be sharing it all with you here, so keep reading! Until then…
Anticipating Baby Hop’s arrival these past few weeks has been a complete joy.
1 part final nest preparations
2 parts mental preparation
1 heaping helping of doing the best we can to enjoy the last moments before our lives are forever changed.
We eagerly anticipate the new season of life we are about to step into.
Last Saturday night Lindsey and I had a wonderful date. A final big night out of sorts for the married without children couple. Starting with some serious steak at Outback – Lindsey had the prime rib and I went with the bone-in ribeye (a tip of the hat to you there, Dad!). With our palate’s satisfied and bellies full, we drove into Dallas to hear and see the symphony at the Morton H. Meyerson Center. Umm, this place is really amazing. Here are some images – check it out that pipe organ! They were performing The Magical Music of Disney. It was absolutely inspiring. How fun it was to take a journey across the globe through all of Disney’s major animated features. From the Lion King in Africa to Beauty and the Beast set in Paris. We both really enjoyed the performance and I think we’ll become semi-regulars to the Dallas Symphony. Thanks Mom and Dad for the early Christmas gift!
You’ll find some photos of Gig ‘em and Jiff playing with a loose string from the blanket on the chair. Lindsey said it was a riot to watch. It’s always nice when our furry family members can keep themselves so easily entertained.
My very favorite photographic subject gave me the fortunate opportunity to capture her in the last moments of pregnancy. My beautiful bride makes an even more beautiful mommy-to-be. Am I a sap or what? Mixed in are a few shots of Jiff. We sure are having fun watching the little guy grow up. Sometimes I just wish we could slow down that process a bit. Is that foreshadowing to feelings ahead?
I found this nifty little app today that takes your photos and gives a Polaroid look to them. I had a good time going through some recent photos of ours and Adam and Genie’s to find some that I thought would make nice faux-Polariods.
. I have to say, Jiff is a very smart dog and has picked up the tricks/commands Matt has taught him like it was nobody’s business. We’re glad to have him as part of our family.