The Skelton Family

Presenting....Sadie Kate Skelton

2009-07-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hudson... not really knowing what to think about his little sister..

Could anything be more precious than this?

Beautiful generations of ladies...

Arrival of Sadie Kate Skelton

2009-07-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation... our little girl has finally arrived... 8 days early, Sadie Kate Skelton came to be will us on July 9th @ 2:38 pm. Weighing 8 lbs and 13 oz...20.5 inches long. Ella Grace and Hudson can't keep their hands off of her. It is hard to believe that we are now a family of 5 with 3 kids under 3. God has truly blessed Chrissy and I... for this we are greatful.

Our family of 5... let the fun begin!

Couldn't be more proud of our family....

The best wife and mother to my children.....

A little Holiday treat.....

2008-12-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is a little holiday treat for all of our family and friends who stay in touch through our blog.

This photo is one on the many photos from our current session with close friend and photographer, Becky Abernathy. Becky is not only an awesome photographer but also an awesome friend! You can check out Becky's work @ www.abernathyphotographics.com. Her blog is www.abernathyphotographics.typepad.com.
Watch for more photos...... they will be posted on our blog in a few days.
Merry Christmas to our family and friends!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

King of the Jungle

2008-12-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

This picture gives you a good idea of what our ministry here in Birmingham has been doing for the past 5 months. During the summer I picked out this musical. The only issue was I didn't have a music director! Weeks following God put together an awesome team that worked hard to see our goal fulfilled. This set was the biggest set that I have ever created.... and the greatest part of if all was that the kids loved it!
Our monkies and lions were great... their make-up was a true creative art!
One of the selling points to my directors was that I would play the part of the dad.... which was suppose to take stress off them.... As you should guess the kids loved having their Children's Pastor in the musical.

Our little artist.....

2008-12-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Ella and I have been working on some Christmas gifts... she has a new interest... painting! She loved every moment spent with the paint brush!

Looks like we might have a little aspiring artist on our hands!

Thanksgiving with the Pink Piggie

2008-12-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

During our Thanksgiving in Atlanta, Chrissy and I took the kids to ride the Pink Pig @ Lenox Mall with Glo Glo. Chrissy, having an obsession with pigs, loved the entire enviroment. Ella wanted to ride it over and over again... much to our dismay this was not possible.... since it cost us 12 dollars for all four of us to ride!

Please note: The pink is not for big guys.. especially me... I almost go stuck in the train car! My legs were wedged so tight that I could hardly move! I felt like I was trying to ride in Ella's powerwheels beetle!

A Season of Giving Back......

2008-12-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

3 months ago our church here in Birmingham had a special emphasis on "Giving Back to the Community". On a selected Sunday the church took up an offering to use in creating projects that would give to the community. One of the many projects that was giving back a renovated children's ministry space to a small church 1 1/2 hrs from Birmingham. The photos below give you a little insight into what type of project we did. I had to pretty much start from ground up with the entire facility. The walls were white and the ministry need a new name and theme. I meet with the children's pastor the church and discussed things such as:

1. The church's current programming

2. The community cultural elements... for the community it was hunting, fishing and things that people do in central Alabama.

3. Space Allocation and evaluation was a central element

4. The Children's Pastor desires were alot like the needs of a previous remodel done in Atlanta.

In the end..... I came up with... "Camp Discovery- The children's ministry of Buhl Church of God". Camp Discovery is a place where children discover God in all of his creations.

These type projects are the highlight of ministry for me. I can't tell you how much joy this project brought me..... and hopefully will bring kids for years to come.

Little boy blue......

2008-11-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

This photo captures to true personality of our son. Hudson... almost 7 months old.... is one of the most laid back babies you could ever meet. He is always happy... especially when his little sister is around. Ella loves her brother... she spends a majority of her time trying to entertain him by saying... "Hudson, I get you... Hudson, I get you"... following up with kisses all over his face.

Seeing such love for our kids makes us so happy to have them so close together!

Our Fashionista.....

2008-11-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday Ella arrived @ school wearing her new boots. Ella's teacher, Ms. Jan, greeted us saying.... "Please look Susan...... look @ what our fashionista has on today!" Susan and Jan are Ella's teachers @ Briarwood Church. Chrissy and I are thanking God for placing these ladies in Ella's life. We are so thankful for both of them.

Highwaters

2008-11-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Not really sure if I spelled this title correctly but you get the idea.... Hudson is growing so quickly that all of his pants look like........ highwaters! Everytime we put pants on him... he seems to have grown! We have this feeling that he might carry the same gene as his dad.... Chrissy seems to think that I also wear highwaters @ times... go figure. I pray that I am not still growing...

Minnie and Little Moo

2008-11-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

This Halloween Ella was Minnie Mouse... courtesy of Glo Glo and Papa Randy. Ella had ears but they were just two big for her little head. Hudson was Little Moo..... a cow costume that we found @ Gap Kids. Our neighborhood had a professional face painter come to paint the kid's faces before trick or treating. We took Ella... hoping that we could make her look like Minnie Mouse without having to wear those complicated mouse ears. This painter did ok.... she had never done Minnie before... I had to take Ella home and add wiskers.... Ella loved getting her face painted (you can see photos below)

This year we had our close friends from ATL, Ed and Tracey, in town to trick or treat with us. We had so much fun walking Ella house to house as Minnie Mouse. Ella thought that the candy idea was the greatest thing.

Minnie Mouse Part 2

2008-11-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

Minnie Mouse went to a party last week... her face had a totally different look than her halloween face. This face was a dad created face... not a professional face painter.

Minnie Mouse getting her faced painted by a "professional face painter"

Ella's friend Josie....

2008-11-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

Last week Chrissy and I had our church development pastor's kids over for a spend the night party. The Swank's have four daughters who are the nicest kids. Josie, who is 3 years old, is one of Ella's favorite friends. We had so much having these girls over..... Chrissy made apple dapple with them.... we played games..... and even had pancakes the next morning.

Ella's favorite place to play.....

2008-11-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ella has a new favorite place to play... in daddy's car! Ella can't wait each day to jump in my car when I get home.

Hudson's Resilience

2008-10-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't know it from these pictures but Hudson has been sick for the past few days. On Tuesday night he woke with a fever of almost 102.... he was coughing terribly and his nose was completely filled..... Chrissy took him to the doctor on Wednesday and they have him on an antibiotic.... he has some sort of throat infection and a sinus infection.

Chrissy and I have been amazed at Hudson's resilience.... he has not cried once and doesn't seem to be the least bit irritable. Please pray for the complete recovery of our little boy.

Kid Krusade @ Bay-Community

2008-10-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Chrissy and I took the kid's on a little road trip last week. Metro sent us to Daphne, Alabama for a Kid Krusade @ Bay-Community Church. Our primary reason for going was to observe how they did a community event of this nature. Our hotel was great... Ella loved running around the hotel. We only had one issue @ the hotel... they went overboard with the halloween decorations....also, upon our arrival there was a "electronic witch" standing @ the door. The witch was stirring a pot... fog was coming off of the pot. Ella was not the least bit scared of the witch.... she kept asking what it was. Finally she started calling it a scarecrow.... Chrissy and I were so glad b/c we really didn't want to teach Ella the word "witch". The reason being, Ella being only 2 loves new words and would say the word 500 times a day. For 3 days, Ella wanted to go to the lobby to see the "scarecrow" as she calls it....

The Kid Krusade was great... Ella loved the live and very loud music... She danced and was intrigued by all the action that was taking place on the stage. One of the highlights of the krusade was Ella winning the prize during a drawing. Ella won an art desk with painting supplies. The desk is awesome... me being an artist was thrilled that our little girl won such a creative gift! After winning the desk, my only thought was "How are we going to get this thing home?" .... Thankful we packed light and there was room. I will post pictures of the desk later on..... Ella has been putting it to good use.
Ella with her arm band that had the winning number on it! Ella loved wearing her name badge....
Ella and I getting ready for the big event.

Chrissy spent much of her time at the Krusade tending to Hudson's needs.

Toward the end of the nightly service, this is how Ella and I coped with her tired state of not being in bed.....

A visit from Brayden

2008-10-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ella and Hudson only have one cousin, his name is Brayden. Brayden lives in South Carolina. During Ella's birthday weekend, Brayden came to visit with Nana and Papa Eric. Ella and Hudson loved having Brayden in town. These photos were taken after bathtime.... Nana bought all three grandkids new pajamas.... which they loved!

Ella's new Volkswagen Beetle

2008-10-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ella loves her new Volkswagen Beetle.... Every day she looks forward to her opportunity to drive down the street... the only issue we are having is that she doesn't understand that she must use the steering wheel! She thinks she can just drive it with no hands...... Needless to say, we are constantly trying to get her out of the ditch..... She could also doesn't care about using the reverse button.... We have some teaching to do..... Driving School seems to be inevitable.

Ella's Circus

2008-10-20T13:14:00.001-07:00

For Ella's 2nd birthday we had a circus party. The day was a true circus. We had a circus tent, games, clowns, a full body character and tons of food. With over 56 guest, Ella enjoyed every minute of the party. Ella loved her mini hamburger and homemade mac and cheese. Chrissy and I could not of been more happy in seeing our family and friends come together, celebrating the life of Ella.

Our Circus Tent

Ella opening her gifts.
Ella's favorite gift... her new car! She loves her little beetle car. Chrissy and I had been searching for the right car for Ella.... boy, did we find it!
Ella thinks that her car is the most wonderful thing.

Ella loves cake.... one of our friends from church made Ella the cake for her birthday.... Thanks Becky!
Ella's friend Caden

Some of Ella's other favorite people....Olivia, Ella and Rachel.
Ella's cousin visting from South Carolina, Brayden

Ella's Circus Clown, Lil' Darlin
Ella's favorite character from church, Joey
Ella loves to kiss Joey!

A visit from Aunt Alisha

2008-10-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my sister, who lives in South Carolina, came to stay with us for 4 days. This visit was a true treat for Ella and Hudson. Chrissy and I had a "mission's conference" @ the church throughout the week. Alisha was such an asset in helping with the kid's during the day... and especially @ night. Ella call's Alisha..."Isha". These photos were taken during one of Alisha's afternoon fun times with the kids. We love you "Isha"!
Because of Aunt Alisha... Ella now wants to lay in the grass to look @ the clouds.
Ella loves her "baby Hudson"!

Church Staff Photos

2008-10-01T09:31:00.001-07:00

As many of you know Chrissy and I have been through many changes @ the church where I am currently serving as Children's Pastor. We have seen numerous staff come and go over the past 14 months. Actually 7 of the 11 pastors have transitioned from the church. With that said I have 7 new pastors that have joined our staff over the past few months. We just had new staff photos made.... these photos are the ones that will be used for our family.

(As you can see in the photo below, Ella was not in the mood for taking a photo. We are thankful that we at least got something that was somewhat presentable.)

Our little Monkey...

2008-09-23T11:50:00.001-07:00

Who knew that a toddler could be into so many things? Chrissy and I feel as if Ella is always into something. Last week, she finally accomplished the task of learning to open the pantry door.... now she thinks she can have a gummy Dora the Explorer snack all the time....

Yesterday...while I was not looking... she decided to stand on top of the basket in the living room and jump on top of me and Hudson..... not only that but Hudson has become Ella's new riding horse.... we have now caught her on 15 different occasions sitting on top of Hudson! She is saying "Getty Up Horsey"! So I ask the question... "What in the world are we going to do?"

We for sure have a little monkey on our hands....

Mondays with Mommy

2008-09-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

On Mondays, while Ella is @ school and I am at work, Hudson and Chrissy have a day together. One of their favorite places to go is to the YMCA in Trussville. Chrissy can take fitness classes or walk the track with Hudson. Hudson and Ella love the YMCA. Not only is the facility great but the people there are extremely nice.

On this specific day, Hudson also took his mom on a date to Iz2 cafe.

Hudson loves his mommy!

Early Mornings with Hudson

2008-09-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ella is our sleeping child... she goes to bed @ 7 each night and wakes @ 7-7:30 each morning. Hudson on the other hand is our awake child.... sleeping does not seem as important to him. Hudson fights sleep... naps are a forced subject with our little boy. Each morning Hudson awakes around 5 then falls back asleep awaking again @ 6. Last week he learned to turn himself over.... this morning... for the first time... we found Hudson in his crib on his belly. The look on his face was as if he was having the time of his life... kicking and doing his fake swimming routine.
Hudson is happy as can be.... even if it is 6 in the morning.
Breakfast is normally a joyful time... this morning... I don't think he was so excited about his cereal mixed with prunes.
Like his sister.. Hudson has the facial expression gene.... He is learning from the best actress Ella... or maybe I should say Chrissy.... I will let you decide :)

This morning.....

2008-09-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

This morning Ella and I arrived to drop her off @ preschool. After getting out of the car, Ella decided that she didn't want to go to preschool. So what does she decide to do? Cling to the brick column.... This facial expression could have won an "Emmy award"! It is hard to believe that a 2 yr old can be such an actress...
After talking... Ella decided she was glad to be @ school.
Ella became so excited that she led me to the door..... almost knocking herself over.
As soon as we enter the room.... where does Ella go? Straight to the rocking chair.... what does she begin to say? "Daddy rock.." At this moment the teacher is saying to me... "She is wanting daddy to rock".... I feeling like a dork..... once again.... for the 6th time.... rock in the chair! All for my little girl!
As I was leaving Ella was intrigued with a new toy in the room... some type of shopping cart that sings food songs.

The Boots

2008-09-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

A decade ago a song came out entitle "Who's bed has your boots been under?".... That song has taken on a new meaning over the past few weeks. Ella has been under our bed, in our closet and falling throughout the house with her new favorite attire... Chrissy's black boots! Seeing her in the boots is quite a comical sight. Shania Twain would be so proud to see Ella strutting in her mama's boots!

Early Morning Photoshoot

2008-09-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Chrissy had a women's breakfast on Saturday morning. Chrissy took Hudson with her. While she was at her breakfast Ella and I had a date at Cracker Barrel. Ella enjoyed the following things during the date: 1. the attention of her daddy, 2. the biscuits and jelly, 3. the rocking chairs, 4. the deer head hanging on the wall. (FYI: Ella is obsessed with the deer head! She has to get this from her Papa Skelton...Chrissy and I surely don't see the need for a deer head.)

After our yummy breakfast Ella wanted to go and see the fountain at the office park across the street. These photos are from our early morning adventure....

Ella's first Birthday party

2008-09-22T18:51:00.001-07:00

Ella attended her first offical big girl birthday party. Ella has a friend named Parker that attends our church. Parker had his 2nd birthday party @ Gymboree Play Place. Ella loved Gymboree's wonderful world of creative equipment for preschoolers. As you can see in these photos Ella loves Parker.... more than that... Ella loves cake! The term "party" has taken on a new meaning for Ella.

Ella's First Day of School

2008-09-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ella has officially began her school adventure.... Last week she start preschool @ Briarwood Presbyterian Church. We love her teachers Ms. Susan and Ms. Jan. Ella has 7 other children in her class. She comes home each day talking about some kids named Molly, Noah and Jeb. Each morning as we drop Ella off, her daily ritual is having me to rock in the teacher's rocking chair beside her. Who can believe that Ella is about to be 2 years old.... time is flying.

Say cheese Hudson... you have 2 new teeth!

2008-08-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

While on vacation @ Rosemary beach Hudson got his first 2 teeth! YES that is right.. not 1 tooth but 2 teeth! These two new additions to his face make his smile even brighter!

Ella's new rain boots

2008-08-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

A few months back Chrissy and I bought Ella a new rain coat and rain boots. Yesterday Ella found the boots in her room and decided to put them on. Just so happens that yesterday it was raining... Ella was in heaven as she tried out her new attire. She thought jumping in puddles was the most wonderful thing in the world. Following her puddle jumping... we went to Chick-Fil-A. Ella got everyone's attention with her rain gear.... especially when she would not take off her rain coat to eat!

So as one should guess... this morning we woke-up and what did Ella want to wear? Those rain boots... except there is one problem... it is not raining today. So here we are with our little Ella in rain boots on a bright sunny day.

Rosemary Beach 2008

2008-08-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it has been most a year since Chrissy and I have taken a vacation. This year we followed our new tradition of going to Rosemary Beach, Florida. We love Rosemary! We not only had a new addition to our family for this vacation.... our little Hudson.... we also had The Abernathy's join us. Jason and Becky are two of our closest friends here in Birmingham. Becky and I have been friends since college... she is the children's photographer who has taken the wonderful photos of our kids. Jason and I have become really great friends. We workout @ lunch together 3 to 4 times a week. The Abernathy's have a little girl named Ava. Ava is 2 months older than Hudson. Realizing that our vacation would not be a vacation without some type of help with our children.... we asked Chrissy's mom Gloria to come with us. Jason's mom Judy came along to assist them with Ava. We had a wonderful time together. One of the highlights of the trip was the nightly double dates that Jason and I could have with our wives. While the grandmother's watched the kid's during naps and bedtimes we were able to enjoy spending time together as couples.

We were able to ride our bikes to places like the market, shopping areas, coffee shops and even awesome dessert shops!

Rosemary is the perfect place to have a true since of coastal living.... just riding a bike everywhere.

While the kid's were awake...much of our coast living was spent riding a golf cart. All three kids.. especially Ella.... loved the golf cart.

Two awesome wives... and wonderful mothers!

One Day @ the Beach

2008-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

One day @ the beach was all we could do. We went to the beach on our first day.... after day one... the beach was only a memory. Ella loved the beach on Sunday.... then was scared to death of it on Monday. So our time at the beach was great... but limited to a meer three hours. The rest of the week as life @ the pool.

Fun in the Sun with Mommy and Glo Glo

2008-08-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

The phrase "Fun in the Sun" with a 4 1/2 month old and a 22 month old takes a whole new meaning. Much of our vacation was sent attending to the needs and demands of our two kids. Hudson... always needing a nap and Ella.... always wanting to walk up and down the stairs connected to the pool.

Pool fun with Daddy

2008-08-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Vacations are divided in the Skelton home... Chrissy enjoys the sun.... and I enjoy the water. I could live in the ocean and pool while on vacation. Chrissy on the other hand loves nothing more than enjoying a nice warm baking in the sun. While @ the beach I spent a majority of the time entertaining one child in the water while Chrissy cared for the other child on the land. These photographs give you a little insight on what happened in the pool.....

A sister's love....

2008-08-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Ella loves her brother.... kissing him is one of the sweetest things we have ever seen! Hudson has become Ella's favorite person. Each morning as she wakes... he is the one who she is alway wanting.

A happy and growing boy...

2008-08-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Chrissy and I are so blessed! Hudson is following in the footsteps of his sister...sleeping from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. each day! Also much like his sister.... he also puts himself to sleep! Hudson is now 17 lbs ... ranking in the 95% on height and weight. Chrissy said that he takes after his father.... hopefully this means "tall"! :)

Hudson's smile for us is contagious! We can't help but smile every time he smiles.

Our Little Miss Personality

2008-08-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ella is growing in every way.... spiritually (she loves to pray... if anything she holds Chrissy and I accountable before eacth meal!).... physically (she loves to run...and climb on everything) and mentally ( her personality and memory has developed greatly over the past few weeks!).

Ella has become such a friendly little tot.... talking seems to be her gift... much like myself! As you can see in these photos...the term "Ella Grace" could be defined as Miss Personality.

Ella wants to know... "If she can wear your shoes?"

2008-08-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ella has a new hobby in life.... wearing our shoes! She loves the challenge of trying to walk around the room with her minature feet in our oversized shoes. The term "falling" seems to go well with this new hobby. (Also, As you can see in the photos... Ella got a haircut! Her first one...Chrissy and I aren't excited the baines.... but we have come to the conclusion that they will grow out. Looks like we will be purchasing more hairbows! Yep Yeee! )

Ella's 1st Lollipop

2008-07-24T08:08:00.001-07:00

(Our Little Blue Eyes... Who melts her Father's heart)

This past Sunday, Ella had a treat like no other...... a lollipop! I know this might sound crazy but Chrissy and I have tried to avoid sweets with Ella. (She seems to be doing fine with her caloric intake. :) We are not sure how it really happened but we were at a function where lollipops were laying on the table. The next thing we know... Ella has made it one step closer to heaven as she is enjoying her new found treat. Words cannot express the joy that we have in daily watching our little Ella grow....especially in personality. Each morning I can't wait to retrieve my little bundle of joy from here bed.

Chrissy and I feel so blessed by God.

(A true picture of enjoyment)

Ella's Nest

2008-07-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well... it has been 12 months and I can finally say that Ella's room has a mural installed. One of our major sad points of leaving ATL was the loss of Ella's nursery. We loved her nursery in ATL! So, we move to Birmingham.. and I have all intentions of doing a mural for Ella right away. As one should guess... that doesn't happen. We find a new surprise on the way... Hudson! Hudson gave me yet another new project.. his nursery... which pushes Ella's room to the end of the list. Now.... I can actually say that Ella's room is complete! Ella loves birds. We found some awesome bird bedding from Potterybarn Kids. For inspiration I took the birds from the bedding and drew them in various forms on the walls. One of the major restrictions in doing the room was the collage of pictures that were hanging over Ella's bed. I decided to create a tree for the pictures to hang upon. I then took some of the bird forms and drew them in a way that looked as if the birds were delivering the pictures to the tree. So, there are birds flying around the room with pictures waiting to be delivered. Needless to say.. Ella loves the room. She now has her own little "nest".

Ella's pet bird.
Part of the bedding that was used for inspiration
One of the birds that are delivering the pictures

Early Mornings in the Park

2008-07-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

One of the new things that I have been trying to do is to give Chrissy a little "get-ready" time in the mornings. Once I leave the house in the mornings Chrissy does not get a break until I return home. To alleviate the morning hustle, I have been taking Ella to the park for a 45 minute play date. As one should guess, we are the only people @ the park that early in the morning. When I say early I am meaning 7:30-7:45. Ella seems to enjoy this one on one time. We spend most of our time in the swings... which have become her favorite activity @ the park.
I almost didn't put this on here.....simply b/c of the cheesy smile... but it gives you a good idea of what our time is like.

4th of July

2008-07-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Homewood Part 1- " The Cheesemans"

2008-07-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Chrissy and I decided to invite our neighbors, The Cheesemans, to the 4th of July event with us. The Cheesemans are a family that live 6 doors down from us. They moved here from Wisconsin. Wayne and Lisa have a boy and girl who are twins. Chrissy and Lisa take the kids various places during the day. Wayne and I ride bikes @ night. We have grown close to this family. We realize that God has placed them in our lives.

Ella, Brandon and Ava eating dinner at the festival

Homewood Part 2- "The Pony Ride"

2008-07-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ella had her first pony ride @ the Homewood 4th of July celebration. Ella was a little hesitate at first... then decided to give the pony a try. Her ride was true Kodak moment....especially when Ella smelled the horse's dung and began to grab her nose. She followed by saying "Stinky poopoo".

"Stinky poopoo"

Homewood Part 3- "The Friends"

2008-07-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ella has a special friend named Camryn. Camryn enjoys playing with Ella.
Ella's surprise visit with a local dog.

Chase, Julie and Hudson

We love our awesome friend Julie. She helped us in taking care of Hudson during the festivities

It was getting late and Ella was starting to get tired. Camryn helped us in reading Ella a book.

Ella's First Fireworks Experience

2008-07-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

(A little scared...wondering what is going on.)

Chrissy and I decided to leave early during the Homewood 4th of July festival. It was 8:45 and we knew that the fireworks would begin in 15 minutes. Ella was tired, ready to get in bed. We changed both of the kids before jetting back home. On the drive home Ella saw fireworks going off all around us. She couldn't stop saying "Cracker... Cracker". Upon our arrival to Trussville we say the city fireworks display going on. We stopped in the CVS parking lot so that Ella could see the fireworks. These photos give you a small glimpse of Ella's transition of facial expressions.

(Happy to see all of the colors)

(Excited!)

Milk does a body good....

2008-07-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Milk is obviously working for Hudson. Our boy is growing. Chrissy and I can't believe how big he has become. He is only 3 months old .... and is looking like a 6 month old!

Hudson & The Jumperoo

2008-07-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hudson has a new friend....the "jumperoo". Ella loved the jumperoo as a baby. We decided a few days ago to try Hudson in this energy zapping contraction.

Hudson, like Ella, has discovered a new friend.

(FYI... the only issue that we have with the jumperoo is Ella trying to crawl in it!)

Sunday Mornings

2008-07-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday mornings around the Skelton home can be very interesting. Some Sundays can be perfect, while others can be a complete disaster. On this Sunday morning, I think our pictures speak a 1000 words. Chrissy decided to have a little photo shoot before church. As you can see Ella did not like the idea.

(Poor Hudson.... he is learning to deal with Ella's screams! )

Hudson found a smile even in mist of the emotional event with Ella.

Ella finally gives us a somewhat normal photo.

For this Sunday morning....this is about as good as it gets.

Hudson's Birth Announcement

2008-06-30T12:22:00.001-07:00

Have we ever told you how much Ella loves books?

2008-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Chrissy and I are thanking God for Ella's love of books. We have more books than one could imagine. If we are searching for Ella in the house, many times we will find her sitting somewhere "play" reading thru a book.

Not only does Ella have a passion for books.... but also for the great outdoors.

Hudson's Newborn photos

2008-06-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been a while... but I am finally able to post Hudson's newborn photos. Chrissy and I could not be more proud of these photos. Our close friend Becky Abernathy did a terrific job photographing our little Hudson.

Camp Rocks

2008-06-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last week was a week to remember.... I spent it with 21 kids and 6 adults from Metro @ Camp Rocks. Camp Rocks is a Christian camp that was started by my good friend, Cindy Hunnicutt, @ Lake Allatoona, Georgia. As you can see in the above photo our Metro family had a great time. The highlight of the week was seeing Metro's kids developing new friends with the other children attending the camp. A special thanks goes to my awesome team: Kay Dick, David Lamb, Jane Ann Stone,

Rachel Stone, Andi and Wes McCoy.

Father's Day fun in the Park

2008-06-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Part of my father's day wish was to eat mexican for dinner and take the kids to the park. Ella loves the park.... which means we spend alot of time there. Spending the time going down the slides with Ella was one of the best father's day gifts I could have received.

More Fun at the Park

2008-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Day of a Happy Father

2008-06-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

It seems sort of odd writing about myself... or should I say... my father's day. My father's day was truly a day to remember. From the waking of Ella to the nightly prayers, everything was perfect. Chrissy did such a great job with my father's day gift.... which were.... my favorite type of shoe... Cole Haan. Plus on top of that a really awesome shirt from another favorite store, Banana Republic. I cannot thank God enough for the wonderful wife and two kids that he has given me. (Sorry that Hudson looks a little annoyed in the photos.)

A clean house is a happy house!

2008-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

In a marriage there is certain things that you enjoy doing when it comes to cleaning and certain things that you desire to pass off to your spouse. For Chrissy and I, I am the one who sweeps and mops. Chrissy is the duster and bathroom cleaner. I absolutely hate dusting.... Chrissy hates mopping. So... we are a good balance. While doing one of our weekly cleanings, Ella decided to join in on the fun. These photos give you a good idea of what our cleaning experience looked like.

A visit from Lilley Kate and Vada

2008-06-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Lilley Kate and Ella

Chrissy has a close childhood friend named Lacey. Lacey has two beautiful girls who are only weeks apart from Hudson and Ella. Lacey came to visit Chrissy this past week while I was off at Camp Rocks with our kids from church.

Hudson and Vada

Fun Times in the Pool with Daddy

2008-06-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

One of Ella's favorite things to do is to play in the swimming pool. As you can see in these photos we have been having some fun this summer in the pool.

Memorial Day Fun

2008-06-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

We spent time @ the pool during Memorial Day. Ella loved Glo Glo and Papa Randy's pool. Their pool has been become one of her favorite places to play!

Sweet Hudson... relaxing in the sun.

11 weeks old

2008-06-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is a true Ella melt down.....

2008-06-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

We don't see these often but when we do this is what they look like.... Boy, can these be fun!

Our Little Blue Eyes

2008-06-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Ella's personality is developing more and more each day. Chrissy and I can only laugh as we see aspects of each of us within Ella.
This blue dress is one of our favorite outfits for Ella.

10 weeks old... and growing.

2008-06-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hudson is 10 weeks old in these photos.... we can hardly believe how much he has grown.

Chrissy... A beautiful and wonderful mother

2008-05-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

I, Derrick, can't imagine what the world would be like without Chrissy. She truly is such a wonderful wife and mother. I am amazed each day at the love and support given to me and the kids. Chrissy is the most compassionate and nurturing person I have ever met. Today, the kids and I enjoyed celebrating their beautiful mother. The photos below give you a little insight into our day.... mother's day.
The best mom
Ella once again having to be told..."be easy".
Ella and I

Ella is getting accustomed to my new facial hair. She enjoys rubbing my face... sometimes I feel a little bit like a "petting zoo".
Chrissy's mother's day present.... two 24x28 frames with photos of our kids. Chrissy had never seen these two photos... our friend Becky had taken the photos a few weeks ago. The photos were the perfect accent to our dining room walls. As you can see in this picture, the frames take up half the wall. We couldn't be more proud of them!

Our growing boy...

2008-05-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hudson is growing each day. One of his favorite things to do is to be held. He is such a precious, sweet baby.

Hudson's grumpy face...

One little foot with 5 tiny toes.... Chrissy thinks he has my feet simply because they are quite large....

Weird... but Cool

2008-05-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight for Chrissy's mother's day dinner we ate at Davenport's Pizza in Mountain Brook. This restaurant was become one of our favorite places to eat. I tried to grab some photos of Ella but my camera was doing wierd things... such as this photo. As you can see from the photo Ella was enjoying her time playing with the ice in her cup.

Dad...I thought a nursery was for babies.....

2008-05-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight, while waiting for dinner, Ella and I took a walk thru a local nursery in Mountain Brook. I had the camera with me and was able to catch some photos of Ella's nursery adventure. Ella loved smelling the flowers. The part she did not enjoy was me taking the pictures. I had hoped for better shots but as a parent.... you give and take.

Someone knocked over this plant and Ella was trying to pick it up.
Ella... wishing I would leave her alone with the camera.
Ella leading me thru the flower beds.

"Walk...Walk....Walk...."

2008-05-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

The word "walk" has to be one of Ella's favorite words. The child loves to walk. Every day she anticipates a walk outside. Today she was thrilled to be walking in the windy weather. Her little legs couldn't walk fast enough down the street.
Ella was excited to see a kite flying in the air. "Kite" was a new word learned at this moment in life. She said the word 12 times over the next hour.
Ella giving me the look.... telling me... "Come on... follow me dad."
Ella tries her best to walk briskly away from me. I was almost running to get her.
"Please dad..."

Ella giving me the look..... trying to tell me that she wasn't ready to go to dinner.

The many expressions of Ella...

2008-05-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

A sneak peak of what is to come....

2008-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

"Our little bear"

_________________________________________

Our wonderful and extremely talented friend Becky Abernathy has done it again.... She has taken some of the most phenomenal photos of Hudson. This photo is a sneak peak into what is come...... Watch our blog or check out Becky's website for more photos in the future.

www.abernathyphotographics.com.

www.abernathyphotographics.typepad.com

"Ella can you say church?"

2008-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ella has now learned to say the word "church". Each morning as I leave for work she will say..."church... church". She has come to the conclusion that everytime I leave I am headed to church. These photos were taken yesterday morning before heading to church. Ella loves church. She enjoys her class.... except for yesterday when she was bitten by a little boy. Chrissy and I didn't get upset about the situation because we know that Ella could very well do the same thing to another child. We are learning that kids will be kids..... this is not an easy lesson to learn.

"Another kiss for Hudson... I think he has already had 15 today."
"Our little miss personality"

Who knew a waterhose could be so much fun?

2008-05-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

While in South Carolina Chrissy and Ella decided to wash the car..... as you can see in these photos the car washing was a true treat for Ella.

Ella's cousin Brayden

2008-05-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

This past week I attended a children's ministry conference in Greenville, South Carolina. While I attended the conference, Chrissy and the kids spent some time with my family in Woodruff. My youngest sister, Brittney, has a little boy named Brayden. Ella loves Brayden. She couldn't kiss him enough. (I am starting be a little concerned about Ella always enjoying kissing the boys! )

Fun Times with Brandon and Ava

2008-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

We have found some new friends who live in our neighborhood. The family has two great twins named Brandon and Ava. Ella loves playing with the Brandon and Ava. These photos are from Ella's water day that was to much fun!

A visit from Lauren

2008-05-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I worked a Videa Nueva. Videa Nueva is a retreat for teenagers. I was a spiritual director on the weekend. The weekend was a true treat being that I was to share this experience with our previous youth pastor, Micah Andrews. While gone on the retreat Chrissy was in need of some help with the kids. Our wonderful friend Lauren can into town. The kids loved Lauren. Chrissy was so sad to see her leave.

Hudson @ 3 weeks

2008-05-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hudson is growing.... and Ella can't get enough of him. Each morning Ella awakes asking for "baby". We have been amazed at how much she enjoys kissing him. We are still working on being... "easy with baby brother".

Our growing little boy...

2008-04-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hudson is now a week old. We feel as if he has grown and changed so much since bringing him home. He is feeding exceptionally well..... the night sleeping schedule still has some need work.

After 1 1/2 weeks of being off, I start back to work tommorrow. Please keep Chrissy in your prayers as she transitions over the next few days with me no longer being at home.

A Wonderful Mommy and Wife

2008-04-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Chrissy truly is the best mommy and wife. I watch her each day and am constantly amazed at her devotion to caring for our family. Hudson and Ella are so blessed to have Chrissy as their mother. As I look at this photo.... I realize even more how blessed I am to have her as a wife.

Chrissy and her two little bundles of joy!

Daddy's Little Ella Bell and Hudson

2008-04-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

As a dad nothing is more wonderful in life than having your kids cuddled up in your lap. Everytime Hudson is in my arms, Ella wants to be in my arms. Words cannot express how much I love these two little blessings.
Ella wanting to make sure that she is not left out.... it is a challenge trying to pick her up while holding Hudson!
Ella getting her kisses that sometimes she loves... and sometimes she hates. I figure I must get the kisses while they are young... I am told that the older they get... the less kisses come.

Ella Loves Her Brother!!!

2008-04-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

These are some wonderful photos of Ella and Hudson. It has been amazing to watch Ella change over the past week, especially when it comes to loving upon Hudson. She truly loves her little brother. She is so cute when she says..."Baby... Hudson". She wakes each morning looking for him.

Family Update

2008-03-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

Chrissy and I thank God for the strength that he has given us. I have taken the week off to be with Chrissy. My prayer is that we can use this time together to transition ourselves and Ella. We are adjusting to the lack of sleep. The biggest transition of all is getting accustomed to the baby boy changing of diapers. We didn't realize just how easy changing a little girl is compared to little boys!

Hudson is nursing extremely well.

He is truly a blessing to us. His little cry melts our hearts.

Ella's love is growing for her little brother. Her crying spells have ended... she now just wants to kiss Hudson all the time. Her energy seems to have jetted upwards. She is into everything. Her new favorite word is "HELLO". She grabs our cell phones and says.. Hello! Hello! Hello!

I have been trying to keep her busy to give Chrissy some needed rest. We have been taking daddy and daughter shopping trips. We seem to visit Target and Walmart the most.

Chrissy and I were just saying tonight.... "We can't imagine life without OUR Little Ella! "

First Doctor Visit

2008-03-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today we took Hudson for his first doctor's visit. He has gained 3 ounces of his body weight back that was lost during the hospital visit. He doesn't have jaundice! The doctor said he was perfect... and healthy!

Ella looked surprised.... having a baby brother ride beside her in the car.

Headed Home

2008-03-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Good news came our way on Saturday morning... we were able to leave earlier than expected! We were so excited to be taking our little boy home!

Take Home Outfit Photos

2008-03-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ella meets Hudson

2008-03-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ella arrived to the hospital dressed for the occasion.... she had on a "Big Sister" t-shirt given to us by her Aunt Staci.
At first Ella enjoyed kissing her new brother.... then....
things became very interesting.... Ella wanted to pull his ears....wanted to touch his eyes. Chrissy and I had to use caution with Ella. She didn't enjoy the boundaries that were set for her in regards to Hudson. This photo gives you a good idea of the end result.... Ella was in tears.
We were able to get Ella settled down. She enjoyed touching Hudson's hands and feet.
In the end... we were able to get somewhat of a good family photo!

Hospital Visits from Family and Friends

2008-03-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

Chrissy, Hudson and Becky with her daughter Ava Reese.

Family friend and children's ministry leader, Jane Ann.
Derrick's mom and Dad... Nana and Papa
Chrissy and Tammy
Chrissy and I with Beth and Caelene
The Jack's Family
Our close friend's Jason and Becky.

Chrissy's brother- Uncle Grant.
Chrissy's mom- Glo Glo
The Andrews
Our friend's Tony and Amy Robinson's daughter- Leighton
Chrissy and I with Will and Anna Claire

Ella's Final Days As The Only Child

2008-03-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

Realizing that Ella's days as an only child were numbered, Chrissy and I took Ella to a church spring fair. Ella loved the fair... they had an egg hunt...rides... and popcorn (Ella's new favorite snack). As you can see in the photos below Ella enjoyed most the church playground.

He's Here!

2008-03-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Born @ 2:09, 8 pounds 21 inches long! Chrissy is thanking God he was 2 weeks early!

8:30.....

2008-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

It is now 8:30 and we are waiting.... We arrived at the hospital @ 6:00 this morning. We have two of the best nurses named Shay and Mallory. Upon our arrival they were waiting for us, they greeted Chrissy with a smile which gave her great peace. Chrissy's mom, Gloria, and brother Grant are here with us. Ella is with a neighbor who came to our house @ 5:30 this morning! Thank you Lisa!

Our close friend Tim, the doctor, broke Chrissy's water at 7. Chrissy is doing well..... not in any pain yet. Her contractions are becoming closer.... they exspect Hudson to arrive sometime between 11-12:30.

We will keep you posted....

A day delayed

2008-03-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last night we received a call stating that Chrissy's inducement in the morning had to be moved. There seemed to be an influx of babies. So here we are waiting.... If things go as planned Hudson should have his birthday on March 27th. We'll keep you posted....

The clock is set...

2008-03-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

The clock is set... and time is ticking as we prepare for the arrival of our little boy.

We had hoped that Chrissy would have went naturally over the past Easter weekend.... seeing that you are reading this blog.... I guess you can figure out that did not happen!

So, it looks like March 26th it will be.

Just a little Reminder: :)

For our friends in the wonderful city of ATL and Philly...... we will be induced @ 7:00 a.m. your time.

In the next 7 days.....

2008-03-19T08:54:00.001-07:00

Chrissy and I can hardly believe that in less than 7 days we will once again be new parents. Over the past month we have been watching the t.v. series "Lost". Chrissy's brother Grant sent us the 1st and 2nd season.... and we bought the 3rd season. We have become addicted.... it seems as if we don't watch anything other than "Lost". Now that we have the 3rd season almost completed... we sat last night thinking of how different our lives will be with two kids.

Words cannot express the excitement and anxiety that we feel. Ella has been such an easy child. We can only pray that Hudson will be the same.

So here we are waiting... knowing that in less than 7 days our family will be larger... our hearts will be fuller... our responsiblities will be greater... our lives will once again be blessed. Chrissy and I thank God for what he has given us. We realize that everything we have has truly came from Him. He has truly given us the desires of our hearts... and today we thank Him.

Considering God does not allow Hudson to come naturally before.... Chrissy and I will be arriving to the hospital at 6 a.m. next Wednesday morning (March 26th).

Please keep our family in your prayers....

Please pray for a safe delivery.

Ministry Update

2008-03-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

In May of last year Chrissy and I felt that God was leading us to Metro Church in Birmingham. Much of this leading was due to the opportunity for me to creatively make a difference in Metro's Children's ministry. As many of you know, I enjoy change. Change for me is a doorway of opportunity for using creativity.

For Metro, change was immediate in my arrival. From the first day on the job I began to contemplate the change that God desired for me to do. I knew that I had to do something with the white walls and something also had to be done to the worship room. There were many other things that needed to be done but these two items stood out most.

The biggest project ahead was the total overhaul of the kid's worship room. The stage had to been completely disassembled and relocated. The lighting, carpet and air vents had to be torn out. Creating Metro's "Big Adventure" (this is the name of the new children's ministry) was one of the biggest projects that I have ever taken on. Now, 5 months after completion, I look back at how God guided me through this project.

This is our new welcome area and lobby. The colorful beach images create a nice oasis in the mist of a often crazy children's ministry.

Our "Big Adventure" worship room gives children a feeling of being on a Caribbean island. The set includes a tiki hut, "Big D's Surf Shack, and a crashed airplane (with moving propeller).
The story line of the set resembles something like the hit tv show "Lost".

The kids favorite part of the set.... the airplane.

Hearing from you....

2008-03-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

I am sure that some of you will be glad to know that you can now post own our blog without having a blogspot account. We would love to hear from each of you!

Ella's Old Blog

2008-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know this.... but some of you may not..... Ella has had her own blog for the past 17 months. We just began this new family blog a month ago. You can visit Ella's old blog to see pictures of Chrissy's pregancy with Ella. There is also pictures of Ella's birth, her nursery in Atlanta, and many other life long memories. Ella's old blog is www.little-ella.blogspot.com.
(To view that various photos, you must click on the months which are located at the right of the screen. )

Easter Fun Part 1.... Ella's 1st Hunt

2008-03-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ella was invited to her 1st egg hunt last week. One of our close families from the church, Brody and Jane Ann Stone, have a yearly egg hunt for their entire neighborhood. The Stones did a great job pulling the community together. We were so glad to be apart of the egg hunt....Ella loved every moment of it.

We have been working with Ella on drinking from a cup. Chrissy wanted to make sure that Ella was hydrated for the big event.

At first we had to coach Ella in the object of putting the eggs in the basket.

Ella learned quickly... but the hunt ended once she found this blue egg. The one blue egg was obviously all she wanted.

We put the blue egg in the basket.... Ella went searching for it.

In the end... Ella realized there was a prize in the egg. As you should guess it was candy.... we were glad that she didn't know it. She was content with just hearing the crackle of the paper.

Easter Fun Part 2

2008-03-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

During the egg hunt they had a small carnival type set-up going on. Ella could not walk fast enough.... trying to get to all of the stuff.

Who has ever seen an easter bunny arrive to the hunt on a Harley Davidson motorcycle?

Ella loved the Easter Bunny... She kept wanting to give him kisses..... (at one point she was following him everywhere!)

Don't worry... we didn't let her throw the darts at the balloons... we just let her touch them before the darts were thrown.

One of the neighborhood families had a playground in their backyard... Ella enjoyed going down the slide... over and over again.

One of the activity stations was sidewalk chalk. This was Ella's first time using the chalk... she loved it!