KDOT crews play key role in saving heart attack patient

KDOT crews play key role in saving heart attack patient

This is a story about a team coming together to save one man's life. I am proud to say my Dad, Bob Cooper, was part of that team!

RAELYNN'S PRAYER........

Raelynn and I have been discussing what makes a good prayer and how to pray from her heart and not just a memorized prayer she has learned.  Tonight, her prayer before dinner came from the heart.....

Dear God, thank you for this wonderful dinner.  Thank you for Mom for making this meal for us.  Thank you for the water that came from the stream, thank you for the salmon that came from the seas, thank you for the rice that we harvested, thank you for the yogurt that came from...............(long pause)..........the grocery store and thank you for the Ranch Dressing that came from the bottle.  We love you God, Amen.

I held my laughter and thought about telling her where yogurt comes from but she had put so much effort forth to make a good and meaningful prayer I decided it was just fine for yogurt to just come from the grocery store and Ranch Dressing to come from the bottle!

OUTSTANDING WEEKEND.......

This weekend was great!  There was nothing special about it but things just seemed to go well and I loved every second of it.  Saturday Coop did great at soccer.  He played hard and celebrated when his team scored even if he wasn't the one to score!  It really is amazing to watch these boys play.  It is hard to believe they are only 4/5 year olds.  While I had Coop at soccer, Aunt Karli took Raelynn to cheer.  I really think we may have found her interest.  She loves it and comes home smiling every time.  She is learning some basics but really seems to like it.  I promised her next week I would take her since I have missed it the past 2 weeks.  After we all got home and had some lunch I started cleaning and Karli started cleaning up and recreating the entire Cooper's Cause Foundation contact list.  I could not get them to transfer over from my old computer to the new one so it was quite an on taking.  She worked all day and managed to get it done.  She is such a huge help!!!!

Today we had church, birthday party, Girl Scout Cookie sales and swim practice so needless to say it was a little crazy.  We were home by 5:30pm though and had a good evening together before we start another week.  This week the Board of Directors will select the families to receive funding this year from Cooper's Cause Foundation.  This is so exciting and I am fortunate enough to be the one that gets to contact the families which is the best ever.  I can hardly wait!

Tonight I was watching the kids play and was just thinking how blessed we are.  I would have never imagined the twists and turns our lives have taken but I also could not have imagined how wonderful it could be to have the family I have.  I sometimes have to remind myself how lucky I am with a great husband and two amazing kids.  It really is hard to not wonder what our future has in store for us, but what I do know is that I have all the tools to celebrate or overcome whatever it is!

THINGS ARE COASTING ALONE.............

2012 has started pretty laid back for us which is fantastic!  The kids seem to have less activities going on right now but it is really just a rearrangement of activities.  I used to like to try to get all extracurricular activities done during the week so we had our weekends but I am finding out that having them on the weekends is so much easier and makes our weekdays a lot more low key. 

Coop has been playing soccer since September and loves it.  He is a good little player (I know, all parents think this :) ) and so competitive.  It might be the difference between and girls and boys or maybe just the difference between Raelynn and Cooper but Coop is so much easier to watch play.  He is constantly in the mix and working to get the ball and loves to score of course.  Well this semester they have moved him up and he is now playing with the 5 year olds.  They thought he needed the challenge.  Saturday was his first practice and he was super excited.  He was doing awesome, holding his own and even scored a goal.  Remember these other kids are a year older than Coop and tower him.  Well Coop didn't like that he wasn't scoring constantly and before I knew it he came running over to me crying because he wasn't getting the ball.  I was so shocked because he is such a laid back kid I had never experienced anything like this with him.  Besides that, I thought he was doing fantastic.  The practice was much harder than he had last semester and all the kids were good but he was too.  I found myself a little lost for words as his actions were so unexpected.  I told him to get back out there and play as a team, it did not matter who scored it was a team sport!  One of the coaches was right on it as well and came over scooping Coop up and taking him back out on the court.  The rest of the practice/scrimmage Coop was half crying but never stopped playing.  It was hilarious, he was sniffling and had a pouty lip out but continued to push himself through all the other boys to get to the ball.  Needless to say we have talked a lot about team play and doing your best and working hard over the past few days.  He seems to better understand but I can only hope we do not have the same reaction this week.  On the way home I told him I didn't understand why he was so upset because he was playing amazingly.  He responded, "I didn't win!"  Knowing that his team did win even though we are not suppose to keep score I said, "Coop your team did win!"  He said, "Well I didn't know that!"  I think I might have a competitor on my hands!

So while Coop was playing soccer, Raelynn was at Cheer.  Now this was a new experience for me and one I didn't like.  See Raelynn had Cheer and noon on one side of town and Coop had soccer on the opposite side of town at the same time.  Therefore, I dropped Raelynn off at her class 15 minutes early and then left to take Coop.  I did not like leaving her one little bit.  I was sick to my stomach.  I left her with a cell phone and we went over all the rules and scenarios you could ever imagine.  Raelynn was perfectly fine with it but I was struggling.  Because of everything that happened at soccer, they ran a little late and then I had to talk to the coaches for a second so I was 20 minutes late picking Raelynn up.  I had told her I would be about 15 minutes late.  We were just getting in the car when my phone rang.  It was Raelynn and she said, "Hi Mom!"  "Are you doing ok sweetie, I'm on my way." "Oh yea, I'm fine there is just a guy here who thought I should call you."  Yep that's me, "Mother of the Year!"  I felt horrible!  I guess one of the other parents asked Raelynn if she had a phone, she told him she did and he suggested she call me.  She said she knew I was going to be late but just called to make the guy feel better.  We talked the entire way until I got there.  I hugged her forever to which she replied, "Mom, I'm 6, I can sit and wait for you for a few minutes!"  She is getting so big and so grown up but I still told Terry that he was going to have to take an hour off on Saturdays to run one of the kids because I couldn't do all that again.  When I initially enrolled Raelynn in this class Coop played soccer at 11am and I knew I could make it all work, but when they bumped him up to noon as well I knew I was in trouble.  Anyway, all in all it worked out but for my own peace of mind I think we will not be doing that again!

Sunday Coop attended his best friends birthday party and had so much fun.  It is just so crazy to me how fast he is growing up.  There are parts that seem like a century ago but there are also so many things that seem like just yesterday.  Coop and his buddy get along so well and had a blast bowling!

Other than that life has been pretty basic which I am enjoying.  I have been spending much of my time setting up my new MacBookMacBook".  I didn't really understand and just dismissed it until I received another email regarding "my purchase".  The thought popped into my mind that maybe he ordered it but them I just felt bad for even thinking it.  I couldn't quit thinking about it though and then started to get excited.  I was trying not to be because I felt so selfish.  I called Karli and asked her and when she told me she didn't know I could tell she was lying!!!  Minutes later she text me a picture of it and told me to call Dad I was so shocked and excited I cried.  It is an unbelievable gift!  I am not sure he understands what a big deal it was to me but I know he knows I appreciate it.  It is absolutely wonderful and super fast!

The other excitement this week has been that Raelynn convinced Coop to take showers instead of baths and now he showers without help.  This makes bath/shower time so much quicker but another sign of how big my little boy is getting.  The other is that Coop loves doing laundry.  He is a master sorter and now puts the clothes in the washer.  Sunday he even worked on getting them in the dryer.....we are still working on just putting clothes in the dryer!

DOES IT GET ANY CUTER THAN THIS????

COOP AND ONE OF HIS BUDDIES AT PRESCHOOL!

AN EASY PEASY LEMMON SQUEEZY WEEK......

This week has been sooooo easy.  We haven't had too much going on and the kids have been wonderful.  Last night Raelynn did EVERYTHING and wasn't asked to do any of it.  The kids have been so helpful that we have had some time before bed to just snuggle or play a game and I think they are enjoying that.  It may even be motivation to continue!  Wouldn't that be great?!!

Saturday Raelynn had her first Cheer class and loved it!  It seems that Raelynn hasn't really found anything that she really loved as far as extra curricular type things.  She lives for the summer when she can do the horse shows and we swim year round but other sports she just hasn't really embraced.  She has been asking to take dance for a couple years but I just haven't really done it because, one, it is very expensive and two, the girl has no rhythm :).  Anyway, about 8 months ago she starting asking to take a cheer class.  I hadn't pursued it too much until recently when she started really talking about it.  So anyway, we went to a class on Saturday to see what she thought.  She was in a class of kids about a year or more younger than her but it was the only beginner class there was.  I was concerned about this as the social aspect is always a big deal to her.  She came running out of the class saying, "Yes, Mom, I love it can I keep taking class?"  So we are signed up and taking classes.  It is a whole different world and much more on the side of dance.  I had to laugh as I listened to some of the veteran parents talk about the outfits, hair, make up and competitions.  So needless to say this could be interesting if her interest continues.

Sunday Raelynn's swim coach started a new class where the parents could participate in team practice along with the kids.  I love this idea and I always want to get back into swimming but can never find the time.  So now on Sunday afternoons Raelynn and I have swim team practice together.  It was a great workout and Raelynn loved having me in the water too.  Sometimes we are doing drills with the kids and sometimes the adults and kids are split.  I think we are really going to enjoy it.  It also gives me a chance to be in the water when Raelynn needs a little bit of encouragement to finish a drill.

Coop will start soccer back up this weekend.  He has been moved up with the bigger kids and I am excited to see how he does.  He's such a "go getter"!  It will be fun to watch him progress and I can only hope he gets to continue playing. 

Terry's sister brought this picture to me this week.  This is the first "baby" picture of Terry we have every seen.  I guess being the 4th child and an accident has it's disadvantages, heeheehee.  Anyway, I about fell over when I saw the resemblance between he and Coop.  I knew they looked alike but I had no idea how much until a I saw this. 



Irene Miskimen, Jay Baker, Ronnie Lineberry, Cliff Lineberry, John Newman holding Terry Keefer

MY KIDS ARE HILARIOUS...........

Conversation on the way home..........

I was complaining to the kids about how cold it got when the sun went down.  Raelynn responds, "Man up Mom! It's not even cold!"  This isn't the first time she has told me to "Man up" and if that wasn't funny enough Coop immediately says, "That is not cool Sissy, you shouldn't talk to Mommy like that!"  We all cracked up!  I love that my baby boy is already looking out for his Mommy!

On Monday we were at the grocery store.  I guess the kids had been at home a few too many days because they were being crazy wild at the store which is something I do not allow.  After I had "redirected" Cooper several times I was done.  When I get really frustrated with the kids I kneel down, look at them face to face and scold them in nearly a whisper.  This keeps us from making a scene in public and the kids have came to learn that this is when it is time to calm down.  As I was face to face with Cooper scolding him I noticed that he was doing everything he could to keep from smiling.  He was biting his bottom lip, putting his hands in his pockets and looking down which I do not allow, I make them look at me eye to eye.  The harder he tried not to smile the faster the smile began to spread across his face and the next thing I knew I was doing everything I could not to smile.  It didn't take long before we were both laughing.  Trying so very hard to control my laughter, I continue to tell Cooper "This is not funny!" With his adorable little smirk and cute voice he says, "Then why are you laughing Mommy?" I told him I didn't know why I was laughing but they had to calm down and then I proceeded to set him in the cart where he had no choice but to be good.  As Raelynn walked by Coop she throws him a glance and says, "Who's laughing now!"  I tell 'ya, between Coop's humor and Raelynn's wittiness it is going to be a miracle if I can continue to raise them to be good, polite children!

So we started back to school this morning and both Raelynn and I and Terry and Coop made it to school early which is short of a miracle! Both kids were exhausted tonight which made for a easy bedtime. Luckily we have a pretty easy finish to the week and then more fun for the weekend.