Classic Hilton's

Confession: I was dreading Friday a little bit, especially when I woke up that morning with a massive head cold.  Everything we had planned would be fun and good, but tight schedules always make me tense. But everything went off without a hitch and we had a great evening! Win-Win-Win! So first, I took Brooklyn to Catch Air for her classmate Ellen's birthday party. Ray kept Grayson home for the first hour (HUGE BLESSING!) so I actually got to sit and talk with some of the other moms and grandmas, and even found a carpool partner for the zoo field trip on Monday!  Brooklyn & friends with Hello Kitty at Catch Air We did have to leave the party early, but Brooklyn was quite understanding about it. She was soaked in sweat from all her running around. Good thing Fabrefaction is a casual theater venue! We dropped Grayson off with the Hathcock's, and I know he had a great time playing with Nash and Olivia.  Then Brooklyn and I were on our way! We stopped at Wendy

Brooklyn, I remember taking you to your very first movie -- just the two of us.  We saw The Tale of Despereaux  at the dollar theater. You were about 2 1/2. We got popcorn and I brought in your sippy cup with some diluted juice, and of course, your "faci" (your very special nickname for your pacifier).  You sat in my lap and pretty much watched the whole thing. Then you peed through your diaper, and we went home.  So much has changed in the last three years! Tonight we had an impromptu date night, courtesy of Nana and Bob Bob agreeing to watch Grayson. We saw Dr. Seuss' The Lorax .  We got popcorn and candy and an icee. No pacifier required!  The best part (and the biggest change) was our conversation on the way home. We talked about the movie, our favorite parts, good characters, bad characters, songs, and everything. We even delved into the spiritual, discussing how the "bad guy" wasn't following Jesus' way and how watching his story is a good re

The year was 1997.  I was 15 years old.  I saw Titanic at least 5 times in the theater that year.  Tonight, in what can loosely be classified as a date, I saw it again in Imax 3D. I was completely taken back to that time in my life fourteen years ago.  I love that movie, cheesy as some of it may be, because it represents something of a milestone in my life. I specifically remember seeing the movie with friends rather than parents. I was waking up to the bigger world around me, and I remember acknowledging that the people on screen were actors, and remembering their real names and following their careers. There is a scene in the movie where one of the characters uses "the s word" in reference to the freezing water.  I remember having conversations with my dad about how sometimes cussing is gratuitous and sometimes it is important to the integrity of the story being told. I remember seeing it once with a male friend of mine, and (as a favor to his mother) telling him when to cl

Inspired by my great Best Friend And Cousin, Malissa England, and her list of 29 things to do before she turns 30, I have decided to do set my own goal to help me exit my twenties with a bang.  The year is naturally going to be quite a milestone with the birth of our third child and our decision to homeschool Brooklyn. And with Ray breaking back into acting, the funds are not exactly rolling right now. So the one goal that I think I can accomplish, that I will set for myself, is to read through the entire Old Testament .  I know there are places there that I have never touched, and I'm looking forward to piecing together my spiritual history, and discovering more about who God is and what he wants from me.  Here's to year 29!!

Hi Diddle Dee Dard...an actor's life is hard! This weekend marked, not only the start of my 29th year on this earth and the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, but also my brilliant and talented husband's return to the stage as a professional actor! Quick back story: Ray and I moved to Atlanta six years ago because he was interning with the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern. During that time we were mired in debt and discovered we were pregnant with our first child...not a great recipe for two penniless artists. So Ray took a "real job" at Shepard and our life proceeded from there to here. Now, after that brief hiatus, Ray has returned to the life of a professional actor via Edgar Bean in Titanic, performed at The Fabrefaction Theater.  As far as comebacks go, this one seems to have been pretty smooth. I met members of the cast after the opening night show, and they couldn't say enough nice things about my husband. I was proud, not only of the great wo

Meet Achilles - the newest addition to our ever growing family!  After our experience with Kenley, Nana and Bob Bob really felt that the time was right for Brooklyn and Grayson to have a dog of their own. They called Aunt Jenna to convince them not to, but she wasn't all that persuasive (I believe her exact words were "Oh, yay! Do it!"). Thinking practically, I said no at first, but I've always been a stoftie when it comes to dogs. So for better or worse we've taken the leap into dog ownership! Such a sweetie! Achilles, or "chilli", as he has been dubbed, is a Peekapoo, a Pekeniese-Poodle mix. He's about 17 lbs and five years old, which we think is neat since Brooklyn is also five. We "rescued" him from another family with young kids who loved him dearly, but with mom going back to work, felt like they couldn't give him the attention he wants/needs. He was given the name Achilles because as a puppy he liked to nip at heels. We dis

After putting Brooklyn to bed with relative ease, I brought Grayson and Kenley downstairs to unwind before bed. Mom was on the phone, and as I heard her words, my heart sank. Kenley's, or I should say "Rexie's" (we were never 100% sure what they were saying), owners had seen our flyer. They gave an accurate description of his physical appearance and personality, so we felt confident that they were in fact his owners, and they were greatly distressed over his disappearance and overjoyed that we had found him.   I called Brooklyn downstairs, gave her the news and held her as she burst into tears. Mom and Dad took Kenley back home while Brooklyn and I cried. We came to the conclusion that we will miss Kenley, but we are grateful for the brief time we had with him. Also we are glad that we were able to take care of him and reunite him with his family.  Maybe someday there will be another dog that is right for our family.  

What started out as a very normal trip to Bubba-Q's for dinner ended up turning our whole evening upside down!  We drove along Shallowford towards Canton and found the traffic (near our old neighborhood) to be very slow. Cars were moving slowly, trying not to hit this sweet little dog who was wandering around on the side of the road. We couldn't just leave him there to get hit, so we opened the car door, and he hopped in!  What were we thinking???? Kenley We drove around the neighborhood to see if anyone was out looking for him, or if there were signs up for any lost dogs.  We went to the vet (closed) and to PetSmart (not helpful!). The whole time we were in the car, I was holding the dog and Grayson was cracking up ! It was the funniest thing in the world to him! Finally we decided there was nothing to be done that night, so we picked up the essentials from Target and headed home.  Once home I rushed around getting the kids fed (since by now we were about 2 hour

Sweet Madilyn Rae Hilton, we have made it to the last leg of our little race, the third trimester! In many ways this has been the easiest AND the most difficult pregnancy. Easy because we have managed to maintain a pretty picture perfect health, and difficult because between Brooklyn and Grayson, there just isn't much time to ponder and dream and stress!!  But rest assured Baby Madi - your arrival is greatly anticipated by all members of the household!  So here's the update on your progress and my symptoms. In the seventh month of pregnancy my blood pressure continues to hold steady and normal. This is a huge relief since I was put on bed rest for hypertension for the last three months of Grayson's pregnancy. I'm hoping this is a sign, that you will be my chilled, laid back baby ;0) Together we have gained a healthy 13 lbs.  You are a good mover. I'm not sure, but for some reason your kicks seem to have more purpose behind them than Gray's or even Brooklyn

Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but I definitely hit the dinner time boiling point last night.  As I've mentioned many a time before, I am in the process of learning how to plan and stick to a menu comprised of dishes we eat at home. This is a huge challenge for us because we love eating out!! If we were fabulously wealthy, we'd probably eat out for all our meals and I'm not exaggerating. Maybe we would hire a personal chef, but even that would feel more like eating out. Last week's menu plan sort of flew out the window, but by yesterday we were back on track. I made a nice breakfast: turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, and cinnamon raisin English muffins. Delish! For lunch I cut up cheese and banana slices with crackers and raisins and jello for Brooklyn. I ate leftover pasta carbonara, and even resisted when about 15 minutes later, Dad offered to pick up Five Guys!  And even though by 5:00 I was getting really tired and swollen, I forged ahead and made homema