HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME..........

I won't disclose my age, but regardless how I pictured my life at this age, it is better than I could have ever dreamed.  I have an amazing family and that is all anyone could ever want.  My day started out just as usual.  I got to work and Tom and Valerie had some birthday surprises for me.  Tom bought me a box of cheerios for my breakfast treat and a box of doughnut holes for them to celebrate my birthday with.  It was pretty funny considering it was right on target as he knew I would never eat the doughnuts.  I received my favorite perfume from Valerie which I told her she might regret tomorrow as it has been awhile since I had it so I might get a little carried away with it tomorrow :)  The best part of the day though was when I got home.  Karli  had came and was cooking me an incredible dinner.  Steph also came which was a wonderful surprise.  So the evening was spent with my terrific husband, amazing kids and fabulous sisters.....it was perfect!  Dinner was delicious and I am pretty sure I ate enough for 5 people!  The entertainment was pretty good too.................

Needless to say, we were laughing most of the night. What I didn't catch on video that was equally as funny was Coop imitating Steph!  Anyway, it was an awesome night.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this year's 29th birthday a memorable one.  I think this has been my favorite 29th birthday yet!

Really??? Why does it do this???  Oh well, my wonderful family!

ONE LAST BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND..........

What a beautiful weekend!  The weather has been amazing!  It is hard to believe I spent last week freezing in sweaters.  Friday night we went to the LHS Football Game to watch Raelynn cheer/dance.  I have to say......I am not sure that cheering or dancing is in her future but you can judge for yourself!

So as you can see it gave us a few good laughs but Raelynn had so much fun.  It is a fun thing for the kids to do. 



Coop happy to watch his sis cheer! (Truth is happy to be watching football!)



Saturday was a crazy busy day but I managed to get the house clean which was on the top of my list.  I started the day with a run on the treadmill in our new workout room.  We are finishing our basement slowly one room at a time but the workout room is finished!  Thanks Terry!  We had a PSA recording for the foundation at 9am and then home to get ready for soccer at noon.  That was a little frustrating much as the entire season has been.  I suppose it is the age but it is hard to watch.  Raelynn has a blast and loves it but I don't feel like she puts forward much effort or really cares whether she wins or looses.  Anyway, to a competitive Mom like me, it is like slow torture.  Anyway, we have the winter to regroup and we will see if she still chooses to play in the spring.  After soccer we headed to a play date with friends, Ian and Henry.  The kids had a great time and their Mom and I got to chat as well which was really nice.  I sometimes forget what it's like to just sit and chat with another Mom and share ideas.  It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  We washed and vacuumed the car after that and then headed home for some hard core cleaning.  The kids were fantastic all day. 

Today we slept in until 7:30am or so.  We got up and I started making some fun breakfast cinnamon rolls.  Today could not have began any better as Raelynn was in the living room watching cartoons. As I was putting the rolls in the oven she says, "Mom, when you get breakfast started could you snuggle with me for a couple minutes?"  She didn't have to ask twice and that is pretty much how the whole day went.  After breakfast we got ready and headed to church.  The weather was incredible.  We took a trip to the park and rode bikes and scooters this afternoon.  Aunt Karli was here as well so we shared some good laughs and quality time together.  It really was what weekends are suppose to be all about.  I just wish I had just one more day to do it all over again. 

KEEPING UP............

It seems to be getting harder and harder to keep this blog up!  What really makes me sad is that I use this as a journal for the kids to have when they get older and I am afraid I am going to miss something important that I want them always to remember.  However, maybe they will know or remember anyway :)

Last week was an average week.  Coop had school pics on Wednesday which of course were his first school pics.  I got him up a little earlier so I could fix his hair before I left to read at Raelynn's school.  As I finished I told Coop to smile like he was going to for pictures and this is what I got..........

His teacher promises me he smiled perfectly but we'll see!

Friday we took Coop in to see Dr. Kelley.  We were getting a little concerned about how skinny he was looking and a few other unusual things we were noticing.  Luckily the check up was great and Coop is just fine.  He weighed in at 30lbs which is just 2lbs more than a year ago but still a gain.  On the other side he grew 1 3/4 "which is great. His height is actually average which explains why he is looking so thin as he spreads what little meat he has on his bones even further.  All in all, with a few adjustments he is doing fantastic!

Over the weekend the family was here for our annual pumpkin patch trip which is always fun!  The kids had fun and I loved all the homemade goodies.  They have the most amazing cookies ever!!!

Sunday Raelynn had a cheer clinic and then will be performing at the LHS game this Friday night.  She had a wonderful time and when she got home and we were all ready for bed, she wanted to teach her brother what she had learned and show me the cheers and dance.  However, Coop had his own agenda as always and he did what he could to steal the stage.  (Don't forget to scroll to the bottom and pause the music on the blog so you can hear the video)

I cannot help but laugh!  He is hilarious and Raelynn tries so hard to be patient....most of the time!

Today Raelynn invited me to join her for lunch at school. She had earned 10 Gold Slips so we got to eat in her classroom.  It was awesome. There were a handful of other kids that ate with us and we just chatted away.  It was really great and I love getting to see a part of her day I usually don't get to.  The kids were awesome too.  Since I read to the kids in the mornings, there are several I am getting to know and as I walk down the hall they all are eager to say Hi and wave which brings a smile to my face every time. I just love being involved with the school and kids!

Tonight was a fantastic night at home.  We had nothing after school and work so we were able to come straight home. We rode bikes and did homework and made dinner together.  I don't think I said "hurry" one time which is nice.  The kids love being home together too and their conversations and play are more entertaining than any TV show could be.  I am just so blessed to have such an amazing family!

FALL IS IN THE AIR..................

This weekend fall was all around us.  The trees are changing and the winds are blowing.  The only crazy thing is that it is still super warm which I love!!!  I usually am not a big fan of fall but this year we have all the good parts without the cold.  I decorated the house last weekend and lit some fall scented candles so it is all starting to get cozy around here! 

On Friday I got to go to the pumpkin patch with Coop for preschool.  It was so windy and dusty that we got disgustingly dirty but had a blast.  He picked out the perfect pumpkin, one he could carry by himself.  We played hard and I finally got to meet some of the kids he talks about.  He is just growing by leaps and bounds not only in size but in maturity as well. 

Tonight I reminded him he had school pictures Wednesday and said we would have to find him something cute to wear.  He said, "maybe I should wear my tie!"  He is such a cutie!  Tonight we were at swimming lessons and after his lesson he says, "watch Mommy I can swim by myself."  He jumps in the pool and swims from the side across the lane to the rope.  I cheered and congratulated him.  Then he attempted to swim back.  He got half way and decided it was too far and turned back around to the rope but the rope looked too far too and he turned back around to the side.  He started to panicked and inside so did I but I encouraged him to go back to the rope which he did but he scared himself.  He held tight to the rope and cried like crazy.  I had yanked my jacket off and was getting pretty close to going in to get him when one of the instructors came over to help.  We got him out of the pool and he held on so tight.  I wanted to just hold him and console him but I also knew I didn't want him scared so I loosened his grip and with a big smile told him how proud I was of him.  I had him look out at the pool and see how far he swam by himself.  He eventually smiled and hopefully won't be too spooked next time.

Raelynn is doing great in school and I am amazed at what she is learning.  She knows addition, subtraction and is working on multiplication; she knows prepositions and what quotations are used for.  I ask her often if she is learning all this in school and sometimes she says yes and sometimes she says at Boys and Girls Club and sometimes she says from older kids.  What I do know is she is like a sponge and absorbs everything!  I know for a fact I did not know the things she knows at 6!  Tonight she informed me she was publishing a book!  She followed it up by, "well not with a professional publisher but Mrs. Shireman is helping us publish our books.........Mom I don't know what I want to be when I grow up."  I assured her she had time and would probably change her mind several times until she settled on a career.  She asked what if she never decides and I said, "Well then I guess it is a good thing Dad is finishing the basement so you can live down there."  We both laughed!  A few nights ago after we read her story and we were laying in bed talking and she says, "Mom you know people that are special are the nicest?"  "What do you mean?"  "You know, people that are special like "Susie" (a girl at her school who is in a wheelchair) she is special and she is so nice, and you know "Jenny" (another girl from her school with cerebral palsy) she is special and she's really nice too, and I am nice and I am special because I am really good at math."  I chuckled and said "well I don't think being good at math makes you special."  Raelynn is very serious and says, "I know, having a special brother like Cooper is what makes me special and that's why I am nice."  I assured her there were many reasons she was special and being nice was just one of those.  I sometimes wish I could crawl in her mind and see her every thought because the thoughts that come out amaze me and I can only imagine those that don't!

Last week I joined the Daisy Troop on a trip to the zoo and we had a blast!

Today is my parent's 40th Wedding Anniversary!  That is an incredibly long time and to survive 4 daughters makes it that much more amazing! I love them both very much and am extremely fortunate to have grown up with them both!!!!