I'm Thankful for 2009

A friend of mine made a list of all she was thankful for this year. I decided to do the same. I thought I would just jot down a few things, but as I kept moving I thought of more and more things.... Turns out - I'm more blessed than I thought. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

1. My aunt. I'm thankful for the health that my aunt still has. She was very sick over the summer and nearly died on us, but she made it through. She isn't as healthy as she was last year, but she's healthy enough to come to my house tomorrow and share a meal with our family. I'm so thankful for the time we will have together!

2. Lucas. Lucas is my best friend and my rock. He is truly my partner in life and I'm so grateful for that! There is no one else with whom I can share everything that going in my life. Lucas is always on my side and always there for me though thick and thin! He is also a wonderful dad to Cade. I had a 16 hour day yesterday and could tell that Cade really missed me. When I got in bed, I just wanted Cade to come in and cuddle with me. So, I turned to Lucas and told him that Cade really missed me... he read my mind and said, "Go get him and bring him in here." What a daddy!

3. I'm thankful for my momma. I've taken her for granted so much of my life. I don't want to do that anymore. Who else would babysit my son 40 hours a week and then drop by on a Sunday to see him just because she misses him? When I see how much she loves Cade, I realize how much she loves me too. I'm grateful to have her in my life and as my momma.

4. Cade! Who else can bring a smile to your face after a 16 hour day? I came home last night at 10:45. Cade was laying down trying to go to sleep. He heard me come in the door and said, "Is that you, momma?" He was so happy to see me... I could see pure joy in his face. Seeing joy in his face warms my heart and puts a smile on my face. I'm so thankful that God has blessed me to have Cade as my son.

5. My uncle Victor. He my uncle and my dad. I love him so much. I'm so grateful to heaven above that he still has his health. If there is anyone in this world that I know I can always turn to in times of need, it is my uncle Victor. Everyone should have an uncle Victor in their lives - and I'm so glad I have mine!

6. Rick and Jamie. What better in-laws could a girl ask for? Rick and Jamie are such loving, kind people. They love me for who I am and like I am their own daughter. They are good parents to Lucas and wonderful grandparents to Cade. They are fun, outgoing, generous, and kind. They would give anyone the shirt off their back... and I'm not just saying that - it's true... they really would.

7. Floyd. 4 years ago my mom and Floyd got married. I'm so grateful to have Floyd as a part of our family and as Cade's grandpa. Cade loves Floyd so much. Floyd has never had any kids, but still has taken to being a grandpa naturally. I dropped Cade off this morning and his grandpa was stirring about waiting for him. He already had Cade's chocolate milk ready for him. What a guy!

8. My home. I talk about wanting a new house all the time. And, I do want a new one. But still, I'm so thankful to have my home.

9. My car. I got a new car in February of this year. Well not brand new, but close. I drove my last car for 9 years and it had seen some better days. I'm so grateful to have reliable 4 door car. Not to mention it's just fun to drive!

10. My job. I'm so grateful to have a job to be able to provide for my family. And, not just any job - a job that I love. I love the people I work with and the people I work for. My bosses are wonderful people who love and care for us. My co-workers are easy going and fun. They make coming to work each day a blessing. My co-workers are talented and so good at what they do. I grateful to be able to lean on them, gripe to them, hang with them and, laugh with them. We are a family and I'm glad to be a part of this family.

11. Courtney. My best friend Courtney who I take for granted so much of the time. She loves me unconditionally and has stood by me through the years. Courtney has had my back even when it wasn't easy. I love her so much and am grateful for the small bits of time we have together.

12. The Hinshaw and Ketchum families. I grew up in a tiny family. I was pretty much the only kid in my family on holidays. I always loved Christmas because of the presents and stuff, but had no one to play with my toys. Now, I'm part of a huge family. Lucas' immediate and extended family on both sides are awesome. OK, there are so many of them... and I'm grateful for them all, but here are the ones that immediately come to mind:

Aunt Jenny, Uncle Greg, and Jill. They were in a horrible car accident earlier this year. I'm thankful that the Lord above was watching over their car that evening and that all 3 made it out. I also pray for their continued recovery.

I absolutely adore my nieces Alissa and Marti. Alissa has grown to be 9 years old now. I remember when she was just a 4 month old baby that I was afraid to hold... and now she approaching her teen years. And my niece, Marti. What a fireball! She is full of life and energy. She has a sweet sprit and an ornery streak too!

My sister-in-law, Heather. She is a great friend to me and the only sister I've ever had. Love her!

My cousin-in-law, Shecoeta. I've known Shecoeta for nearly 10 years now, but have just became close to her in the last year. I'm grateful for her friendship and the relationship that Lucas, Cade, and I have with her family. The Garrett's are one of the most fun families I've ever known. In my next life, I want to be a Garrett kid! HaHa :o)

Lucas' aunt, Dot. Has there ever been a stronger woman? Dot has been through so much in her life, but has overcame and given God to glory! She is one of the strongest witnesses for Christ that I know. She has never met a stranger. I'm grateful to have her in my life.
Lucas' Nana and Papa Ketchum. Nana is such a joy to be around. She's the grandma that every kid should have. So loving, so kind. I'm so glad that Cade has them in his life and that they are healthy enough to enjoy their great grandchildren.
Nane Hinshaw. We lost Papa Hinshaw 3 years ago. I'm so thankful that Nane is so strong and able to pick up and be the leader of our family. Nane is a great grandmother, but quite possibly the youngest most vibrant great grandmother I've ever known. I'm grateful that we have her to keep the Hinshaw family close knit.

Lacey. I've known Lacey since she was 14 (or so). However, we weren't close for a long time. Now that Lacey is 24 and I'm 28, we have much more in common. Lacey is a great friend, wonderful cousin and my partner in crime at school. I'm so thankful to have Lacey to lean on as we go through school. If I decide to go back for my master's, I hope Lacey comes along too... not sure if I'm willing to do it alone after having a buddy all this time!

I left off so many members of the extended family. I'm grateful for all of you and hope that all of you know, that even if I didn't mention you... I am grateful for you!

13. Doris. My officemate, Doris is a great friend. Doris is always there to help when I need it - rather it be work related or not. I'm grateful to have not only an officemate, but also a friend with whom I can share my workday!

14. Cade's Friends. Cater, Grady, Mason, Dylan, Brayden, Teegan, Avery. So glad that Cade has all of these cousins and friends in his life. I didn't have that as a child, and I'm grateful that my son does!

15. My classmates in OL250. I can't think of another group of people I'd rather spend 4 hours with every Tuesday night. You guys are some of the smartest people I've ever met. All of you are full of wonderful thoughts and ideas. I have learned something from each and every one of you. I'm grateful for our laughs and also our ability to gripe to one another... and more than anything I'm grateful that we all help each other when we're down. As much as I'm excited about graduation, I can truly say that I am sad when I think about our time together coming to an end.

16. I'm thankful that Lucas and I are able to provide for Cade. There are many kids this Christmas who won't get anything or will get very little. I'm grateful that we will be able to fill Cade's wish list and our own as well. In addition, we plan to fill some of the wish list of a girl we know. She just turned 13 and has never really had a Christmas. I'm grateful that we know about her situation and that God has blesses us so much that we are able to help provide for her. In addition, I'm grateful for Lucas' boss who has offered to organize their office to help us made this the best Christmas ever for her!

17. Many other friends and family members that I haven't listed here. There are so many great people in our lives! I'm grateful for you all! :o)

I could go on and on, but I'd better stop. Apparently, I have a lot of blessings and much to be thankful for this year! Love to you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Lucas' Great Accomplishment!

We are very excited because last night was Lucas' last night of college... that's right, he's done! Once his teacher grades his final project, he will officially be a college graduate! I'm so proud of Lucas and all that he has accomplished. He has stuck with this dream for nearly 10 years and worked so hard to see it come to fruition. He is the first college graduate on the Hinshaw side of his family - which I think is a great accomplishment not for just Lucas, but the entire family. Now just 7 more months, and I'll be right there with him! Love to all! - Shaunna


Also, I came across this beautiful picture of Cade and wanted to share it with the world...

Then came across this funny picture of Cade and wanted to share it too...

Happy 3rd birthday to my sweet little boy...

Well it's Monday night and my 4 day weekend is over. My little man, Cade, turned 3 on Friday. Has it really been 3 years? In some ways, it seems like I've been Cade's mommy forever and in other ways it seems like he was born just yesterday. It's hard to believe that his childhood is already 1/6 of the way finished. Why do kids have to grow up so fast? Sometimes I think it just isn't fair. I just want my baby to always be little. Luckily, for now at least - he's in no hurry to grow up!

Lucas and I took the day off on Friday to spend with Cade. (this is our little tradition to always spend Cade's birthdays together as a family doing something fun - at least while he's not in school.) We went to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Oklahoma a.k.a. "The Dinosaur Museum." Cade went there a couple of months ago with Lucas' mom and dad (Nana and Pape) and loved it. He asks about going back all the time, so I thought this would be a good opportunity.

Friday night we had a little party with just us and our parents (and of course, my uncle.) Cade was able to go ahead and open his presents from all of us. This was nice because he was able to play with all his new toys over the long weekend. Lucas and I got him some animated dinosaurs - a T Rex and a Triceratops. We also got him some clothes which he could care less about. My aunt and uncle got him a really cool scooter for toddlers, a helmet and knee pads, some new jeans, and some PJ's. My mom got him a new Thomas the Train train set, and a bunch of other smaller toys. Lucas' parents got him a bunch of new clothes, a really cool dinosaur DVD by the Discovery Channel, and some other stuff. Needless to say he raked it in! LOL

Sunday was Cade's party at Lucas' parents' house. It was dinosaur themed (of course.) I'm not sure how many people were there, but it was a lot! I'm always amazed at how many friends and family always come to show their love for Cade. He is definitely loved by many!

I bought a triceratops pinata last week before I knew it was going to be freezing cold on Sunday. (On Cade's actual birthday and the first 2 anniversaries of that date - the weather was very mild and beautiful.) We went ahead and strung up the dino in the neighbors tree (they are family too - just like everyone on that street.) The kids had a lot of fun beating that dino to death. We let the smaller kids take quite a few whacks at it, the bigger ones only got one whack each because they were all so strong! It's amazing how powerful kids can be when you put a bat in the hands! LOL

After the pinata we did the cake. It's a good thing we got the cake over with because it was hard keeping Cade out of it. Something about a food decorated with dinosaurs really intrigued him. It also had a volcano in the middle which he really liked.

After the cake came the presents... and as if he didn't get enough presents on Friday night, he got tons more stuff. So many more that I had to clean out over 2 trash bags full of toys last night. Some of what I remember off the top of my head - robot T Rex, 2 baby animated dinos, 2 different dragons, 2 golf sets, Scooby Doo DVD, Mater truck, some other trucks, some moon sand, a transformer, a remote control car that works on 2 sides, a cool stuffed dinosaur that he can sit on while he watches tv, $$$, and so much more... there is so much stuff in his room - you just wouldn't believe it!

Needless to say, we are so blessed to have such great friends and family. Thank you to all of you who came to his party. I know Cade feels very blessed and loved.

Here's to another great year for Cade! - Shaunna

Football Season is Here!

The 2009 edition of college football has finally arrived. Unfortunately for us Sooner fans, week 1 was not fun! Well the results of the game really stunk, but our trip to Dallas was a blast.

Lucas and I went to Dallas with Lucas' cousin, Shecoeta, and her husband, Bodie. They spent the night at our house Thursday night and the four of us headed south on I-35 at 6:30 Friday morning. We stopped in Gainesville and had breakfast at Cracker Barrell. We were there quite a while and finally made it into Dallas a little after 10.

Shecoeta and I dropped off Lucas and Bodie at Tour 18 in Flower Mound to play golf with Lucas' friend, Lee and another guy. Let me tell you, if you have never seen Tour 18, it is a sight to see! Since we weren't playing, Shecoeta and I didn't get to see the whole course. However, the houses in the neighborhood leading up and the holes along the road were absolutely breathtaking. Lucas and Bodie said that the houses on the back 9 were three times the size of the ones we saw. In fact, they said they saw a house with 6 (yes 6) chimneys!

While the boys played golf, Shecoeta and I got a massage at the day spa in the historic distric of Carrollton, TX. Carrollton is a neat little town in the Dallas metro area. We weren't there long, but we did have about an hour to kill. We walked through the shops and found a neat little shop/salon. It was more of a country/antique shop that was also a salon. I wish I had taken pictures of this place because it was so neat. It made me think of Lucas' aunt Dot because this place was just her style! Our massages were awesome! It was a nice relaxing way to start a busy weekend. The only thing is that now I think we should've gotten the massages on Sunday after our busy weekend instead of Friday!

After our massages Shecoeta and I managed to fight Dallas traffic and navigate our way to the hotel. Shecoeta was our navigator and I must say she did a really good job of keeping me from getting lost. We checked into the hotel and then had to rush off to pick up the hubby's.

We arrived back at Tour 18 around 4 o'clock. The boys got loaded up and we were back on the road by 4:30. Shecoeta and I had our trip all mapped out with mapquest on my cell phone. However, Lucas thought he knew a better way and made me go off of what the map said. An hour later, we decided to stop and eat at Buffalo Wild Wings. Bodie and Shecoeta had never ate at BWW before. I think they really liked trying all the different flavors of wings.




After we left BWW, Lucas took over as our driver... This is where we went wrong! Lucas and Bodie decided that they knew better than Mapquest and just started driving. They would come to intersections and randomly decide which way to go. Eventually around 8 or so, we made it to Humperdink's on NW Highway. That's right, it took us 3 1/2 hours to make it from Flowermound to Humperdink's on NW Highway... granted we stopped to eat, but still this was way too long! Needless to say, we had a lot of fun along the way. Shecoeta and I laughed the whole time at Lucas and Bodie. We were yelling at them for being awful navigators, but truth was we were all having so much fun we didn't really care!

We met up with our friends, Brian and Jennifer, at Humperdink's. We had some drinks and hung out there for a while. After a while we got kind of bored and headed off to another bar near Humperdinks. It wasn't much fun either, so we called it an early night.




We got up around 9 or Saturday morning. We left the hotel around 11:30 or so and headed into Arlington. We tried to go to Humperdink's in Arlington, but they were already so packed by noon that we couldn't get in. So, we headed over to 3rd Base Sports Bar near Six Flags. They were busy, but still had open tables. We sat there and watched the OSU/Georgia game. (I must say quite a few of us OU fans were rooting on OSU... although some weren't and quite a few didn't seem to care.)




We left 3rd Base around 4:45 and headed toward Jerry World. We were able to park in the Ranger's parking lot and walk over to the stadium. It was a short walk and the parking wasn't nearly as expensive as at Jerry World.



All I can say about Jerry World is WOW! That place is bigger than life! It is the Disney World for football fans! All of us were in awe. It is such a beautiful building. Yes, the food was expensive... however it was not nearly as expensive as were told it would be. We actually didn't eat inside there. I had a bottle of water ($5) and Lucas had 3 beers ($8 each). The jumbo-tron was very cool. It is bigger than life. It is very hard to watch the actual game instead of the jumbo-tron. The jumbo-tron is so clear and when you're sitting as far away from the field as we were, it's the best way to stay in the action.



Lucas and I sat right on the 50 yard line, but very far away from the field. We actually ended up sitting in the section next to my boss, Neal, and his 2 sons, Jeff and Bennett and Jeff's girlfriend, Marissa. Those 4 are always a lot of fun to hang out with. I went over and sat with Bennett and Neal during halftime. They are all big OU fans and always love talking football with Lucas.






As I'm sure everyone knows, the Sooners didn't win. We were all pretty bummed. Lucas of course was taunting the BYU fans after the game... but it was all in good fun. (Well kind of!)

The traffic after the game wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Brian and Jennifer's Tahoe has a tv in it, so we put in Anchorman and watched the first 20 or 30 mins of that, before we knew it, we were at Humperdinks on NW highway again. We went in and ate and I think we all had one beer... (Well everyone except Shecoeta, who by the way is ADDICTED to coffee!!) After that, we headed back to the hotel and went to bed.

We all decided to sleep in this morning and take our time getting home. We left the hotel around 11:30 and stopped at Salt Grass in Ft. Worth. Bodie and Shecoeta love Salt Grass and since Lucas and I had never been there, we decided to try it. The food was really good... we will definitely go back.

Once we crossed the OK line, we hit some traffic on I-35... Bodie and Lucas had been hashing out all the ugly details of the game. Bodie, being the funny guy he is, decided to stick his tickets out the window and try to scalp them for $25! We were all cracking up so hard. Then Bodie told Lucas to pull over... anyway, the video below shows what happened next.



All in all, we had a great time. We all laughed so much. Bodie and Shecoeta are always a lot of fun. We can't wait to spend OU/TX weekend with them next month!

BOOMER SOONER! GO OU!! BEAT IDAHO STATE!

Happy Summer 2009!!

Summer is in full swing at our house and Cade is loving it! He loves to play outside no matter the weather, but now that everyone else wants to be out there too, he’s in hog heaven!

Last weekend for Memorial Day we went to Lake Eufala with Lacey and Steven. We stayed in Steven’s parents cabin. Everyone was so nice and made us feel welcome. Cade had so much fun. He made a friend named Gavin. Gavin and Cade played almost the whole weekend. They played in the sandbox and ran around like crazy. Cade also went on his first boat ride. I think he liked it even though he fell asleep about 10 minutes into it! He also found a turtle. He carried that thing all around for about 2 hours until I finally made him let it go. (He was being so rough on it; I was so afraid that he was going to kill it from dropping it down the rocks over and over again.) Most of the group we were with were fisherman. They had caught enough fish by Sunday night for a fish fry. So, Cade got to watch Steven’s dad, Keith, clean the fish. I think he liked watching it even though he made some funny faces and let out a gasp or two! :o)

This past weekend we were finally able to get in the pool. Lucas smoked a brisket Saturday night and invited some friends and family over. Everyone swam and the adults played washers. Cade wore some of those arm floaties in the pool. It made him so much more confident in the water. Now he wants to swim all by himself and doesn’t want the adults holding onto him. He and Marti swam and swam until their little fingers looked like prunes!

Lucas, Cade and I were back in the pool Sunday afternoon. Cade has lots of fun playing with us in the water and Lucas and I enjoyed being able to relax.
I can officially say that Cade is a water baby because he was begging to go swimming last night! I think he’s already counting down the days til the weekend!
In other news… I started school at SNU last Tuesday. Basically they just issued our books, computers, had us fill out paperwork, etc. They gave us our first week’s homework assignment and sent us on our way. Tonight is the first night that we have actual class. I’ll be completely done on July 27, 2010! Woohoo! Lucas will be done this November. It’s hard to believe that in just a little more than a year Lucas and I will both be college grads. We’ve waited so long and worked so hard, it feels good to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Check out the slideshow below that his pics from the last couple of weekends. Happy Summer!

Cade is officially 2 1/2!!

Cade was officially 2 1/2 last Thursday. I took him into the doctor for his 2 1/2 year visit. He was such a good boy. He let her listen and look at everything. He didn't complain one bit. He was such a big brave boy. I was so proud of him for being such a good patient. She said he's looks great and is right on track.

We had his pictures made last week in honor of his 2 1/2 birthday! He was such a hoot this time. He's getting the idea of what a camera is and really likes showing off for them.

Longtime No Blog!

I cannot believe it’s been 2 months since I’ve updated the world on my life! Things have been crazy for the Hinshaw clan. Let’s see where do I start??

First, I should let everyone know that I have gone back to school this semester. I’m enrolled in 9 hours of online courses at OCCC... and to be quite honest it’s kicking my rear!! Between working full-time, taking 3 college classes, being a wife to Lucas, raising Cade and helping out with my aunt and uncle I’m just SO BUSY! I am just hoping that all this craziness in my life will be worth it in the long run.

While we’re on the subject of school, I should mention that I have been accepted to SNU for the adult studies program. Lucas is currently enrolled in the same program. I start in May and will finish 14 months later with a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership!! (It’s basically a business degree.) That pretty much means that I graduate college 10 years and 2 months after I graduated high school. If that doesn’t qualify as the “10 Year Plan”, I don’t know what does. Even so, I’m proud of myself for taking this step and for working to put this stage of my life behind me.

Moving on to other news…. For those of you who haven’t already heard, my miniature dachshund, Zoe, died on Feb. 13th. Our fence blew down that day, she got out, and a car hit her. I was sad about it for a few days, but am doing much better now. Lucas buried her at my aunt and uncle’s with all of the other dogs I’ve had throughout my life.

After losing Zoe, I wanted another dog. And also, our dog Rowdy needed another companion. So, we got a new dog. Her name is Lily (Officially, Hinshaw’s Awesome Lily Blossom) and she is a 7 week old English Bulldog!! She is so precious. I’ve put pics of her below. Lucas’ parents also got a puppy out of the same litter. She is also a female. They named her Hannah (Officially, Hinshaw’s Whole Lotta Hannah) Lucas’ brother Brad and his wife Heather also got a new bulldog this week; however theirs is not related to ours. She is a 3-year-old female named Baby D. So now including our other dog Rowdy, we have 4 bulldogs in the Hinshaw family these days!

Everyone keeps asking what Cade thinks about Lily. I think the jury is still out on this. One minute he wants to hold her and play with her; the next minute he wants her to leave him alone. We can tell that Lily very much likes Cade though. She loves to follow him around while he’s playing and hang out with him. Rowdy on the other hand doesn’t seem to care for her much. I think he will at some point, but for now, she has way too much energy for him. (He’s 9, which is a senior citizen in Bulldog years.)

One last bit of news… I finally got rid of the 'Stang. After 9 long years with my Mustang, I finally said goodbye. I’m both happy and sad. I love, love, love my new car; but I also miss my Mustang. There were many good memories in that car. Anyway, I got a 2008 Ford Fusion. It’s white with dark tinted windows. It has a sunroof and leather interior. It's kinda fun having extra bells and whistles!

Updates on Cade- Cade is growing like a weed. He is more and more alert and involved in the world around him everyday. He is talking very well these days. He talks in full sentences and can carry short conversations. He is learning his colors and can count to 6 (but only when he wants to, now when we ask him to!) He has also learned lots of animal sounds. It is quite a hoot to listen to him growl like a dinosaur (that's his favorite), "oink" like a pig or "moooove" like a cow. Yes, I said move. He thinks the cow says, "move"! It's so cute. He also knows how to "ruff" like a dog and "Meeeooowww" like a cat. He's getting cuter (and more bossy) everyday! We just love him to pieces and are so thankful to have him in our lives.

Easter is coming up next month. I hope to get Cade’s pics made between now and then. I am very much looking forward to spring and summer (especially Saturdays and Sundays in the pool!!)

-Shaunna

Me trying to get Cade to show off for the camera.



Mason, Cade and Dillon (Cade's cousins)



Cade playing in the bath. There is a great video of this, but I'm too scared of pervs watching it to post it.



Lily





Cade and Lily


Rowdy and Lily

Christmas 2008

Lucas, Shaunna and Cade

Cade and his new fire truck on Christmas morning

All of Lucas' cousins on the Ketchum side (except Dallas)
Brad, JW, Jill, Shecoeta, Matt, Lucas and Dillon

Brad, JW, Shecoeta, Matt and Lucas

Alissa, Maddi and Marti wearing the shorts that Aunt Jenny and Jill made for them

Lucas and Bradon the night before Brandon left for Phoenix

JW, Lucas, Brandon, Brad and Heather at McNellie's the night after Christmas



Our Christmas was really nice this year. Cade, Lucas and I all got lots of things that we wanted. There is one funny story that I want to share.

I had all of Cade's Santa presents stored in the closet in our spare bedroom. There was a huge firetruck, a semi-truck from the movie Cars ("Mack"), some toy Nerf guns and some movies all to come from Santa. None of it was wrapped as we planned to just put them under the tree when Santa came. Lucas' best friend Brandon was in town for Christmas and was over at the house on Christmas Eve. The three of us were sitting in the kitchen talking and catching up while I made cookies. Suddenly, Lucas realized that Cade was being very quiet (anyone who has a 2 year old knows this is a bad sign.) We discovered that he was in the closet in our spare bedroom playing with all his new toys! Lucas had to pry the fire truck out of his hands. Cade started crying, "My fire twuck, my fire twuck!" We put the toys away and rushed him out of the room. Then the next morning Santa was able to deliver them. Luckily, Cade is only 2 so he didn't question anything. However, we've learned our lesson. Next year Santa will store his gifts in the attic until he's ready to deliver!

I've put pictures below of all of our Christmas activities.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Shaunna