WOW, DID ALL THAT JUST HAPPEN.....

So as far as spring breaks go, that one wasn't too bad.  Wednesday's surprise was bowling and we had  a great time.  We never bowl so it was quite a treat.  Thursday night was swimming which the kids truly loved.  Friday was the best surprise of all when Granny came to visit. Tom was nice enough to let me off an hour early and Mom and I went and surprised Coop and Raelynn.  They both were sooo happy and then we visited Orange Leaf which just made it that much better.  Then it was home for a movie and dinner.  Saturday we headed to Topeka to check out Aunt Karli's new apartment and a little shopping which was all great.  The snow slowed us down a little and we had to post pone our Chucky Cheese visit but we made up for it with dinner with friends and then a sleep over.  We split kids and Raelynn and her friend Jackie stayed at their house and Coop and his friend Trenton at ours.  They are all sosoo cute.  The night was great and then on to KU Basketball and another friend's house tonight. Luckily I can say it was another great night!!!'

I constantly count my blessings with amazing friends!!!  I love our time with friends and am even happier when that time is accompanied by a Jayhawk win!  By the way, I am still leading the bracket battle in the Keefer household!  here is really no better time of year to live in Lawrence KS than during NCAA Tournament!  This town lives and breathes basketball and I love that our kids are growing up in such an atmosphere!!!

SPRING BREAK WEEK.............

Before we get to spring time, we need to recap last weekend!

What a St. Patrick's Day Parade!  Sunday we had a float in the parade for St. Patrick's Day and we had a great time!  Each year the parade brings so much fun and as the kids get older and more kids join us it just keeps getting better.  We also had some new adults and the same crew as always.  I love having everyone there and despite the freezing cold and rain it was a good time!  It did take all night for us to warm up afterwards!

This week is spring break for the kids.  As they get older some of these things get more difficult.  Terry and I have to work of course so the kids are stuck going to daycare.  For Coop, he loves Mary Beth's so it's just a fun week but for Raelynn its not so good.  She goes to Boys and Girls Club and it is at a different location than her normal BGC and she has never loved it like she loves her after school BGC and the summer BGC.  To make it worse, this year they split up the kids and Raelynn is without one of her best friends.  I understand they want the kids to meet new kids but it is their spring break and they deserve to spend it having fun.  Since Raelynn is struggling a bit, I decided that I would do something "special" every day.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a big deal just a little something.  I let the kids pick 3 things and I picked the rest.  It has turned out to be great and given them something to look forward to.  It has even gotten better because one of her best friends that is not in her group has joined our fun!  So Monday we went to Juice Stop after I picked the kids up.  They had never been there but often asked to go so they thought it was awesome.  We met our friends there and hung out for over an hour.  Today Terry and I took the kids out for breakfast to their favorite spot, Dunkin Donuts!  We added to the fun by everyone filling out their NCAA Tournament Brackets.  Coop chose all the underdogs and Raelynn had a pretty good mix.  Raelynn decided whoever wins should get a prize.  She chose the prizes and considering what she chose for me, I think she rocks!  If she wins, she gets a pink clipboard, if Coop wins he gets 2 hot wheels cars, if Terry wins he gets a bag of M&Ms and if I win I get a new summer dress!  I love this idea :)  It was a fun morning and then tonight Karli and Chad came over for dinner and Steph and Cody showed up later to get the dogs so they joined us for dinner too.  It made for a fun evening.  Tomorrow our friends are joining us and we are going bowling.  The kids don't know and it is killing them!  Thursday will be swimming at the indoor aquatics center.  I am still working on Friday's surprise and then we wrap things up on Saturday with a trip to Chucky Cheese!  In a small way I hope this makes them feel like their spring break was a little fun and special.

Tomorrow is my Uncle Terry's Memorial Service.  As much as I know he is much happier and content now, I still struggle with the pain he has left behind for everyone else.  It is always so difficult but my Aunt and Uncle have 4 kids just like we do and their ages are similiar to mine.  I just can't imagine not having a parent there to call whenever about whatever.  It makes me once again more aware of what I have.  My every thought and prayer will be with my Mom and her entire family tomorrow.  I wish I were there to hug each of you!!!

GREAT NIGHT..........

Awe, it is finally warming up!  Tonight was awesome.  First, we didn't have to rush anywhere and were actually able to get home, cook dinner and enjoy a glass of wine :)  The best part was why I was making dinner, Terry and Coop were out playing basketball.  Coop got a basketball goal for Christmas and hasn't really been able to use it.  It doesn't go as low as Terry and I had hoped and when they first got out there Terry told Coop to keep trying as he tried to get the ball to the goal.  He told him by the end of the summer he would get it there if he kept working.  After a little while and with a few pointers from Dad and determination by Cooper, he was scoring before dinner was ready!  It is going to be a great summer.  We also prepared to enroll our sweet little boy in T-Ball today.  He has to "play up" a year which is allowed here because they don't allow them technically to play until the summer of their Kindergarten year.  Coop has no concept of being small or not as good as the bigger kids so he is not intimidated at all.  He loves baseball and can't wait to play.  It will be fun to watch him but our summer is shaping up to be a busy one.  With Raelynn practicing her horse shows and racing 2X per week and shows on Saturdays and Sundays, Coop with soccer practice on Thursdays and games on Saturday and now Tball practice 1x per week and games on Saturday it might be a little tricky.  I am just grateful that Terry and I aren't out numbered because I am sure I would need to clone myself if that were the case.

Today when I picked Coop up from preschool there was still quite a chill in the air.  As we got in the car I made the comment that I was cold.  Coop said, "I'm cold too.  I'm glad I didn't get to go out to recess because I would have been cold."  I have learned with Coop to pick up on what is NOT said as much as to listen to what is.  I asked him why he didn't get to go to recess.  He paused a moment and said "Ooooohhhhh, weeeelllll, .............." and then went into this story about wrestling and chasing fake leprechauns and stomping on the little ones and on and on and on.  Summarizing things I clarified with him that basically he got in trouble and therefore didn't get to go out to recess.  He then back pedalled a little saying he just had to stay in for a little while and when he realized I was not any happier by that he went on to tell me he only had to stay in 1 minute.  He again saw no softening in my "look" so then continued....."well I was sooooo cold and it was cold outside so I just did that so I wouldn't have to go outside."  He was quite pleased with this version of the story and even repeated it as to confirm that is what really happened.  I asked him, "So you want me to believe that you got in trouble on purpose so you wouldn't have to go outside because you were cold?"  To which Cooper replied with caution, "well it was cold outside."  It is really hard not to laugh and really hard not to dread the trouble that boy is going to be in.  He knew he was not convincing me of his latest version of the story so he then pulled out all the stops and as I turned back around to begin driving he said, "Mommy?"  "Yes Cooper?"  "I really love you!"  And there it was, his "out".  I simply said, "I love you too Cooper and I will love you when you are writing your apology note to your teachers for not listening."  And with that he knew the conversation was over and this one he had lost!  However, as I drove with a smile on my face, I really knew we had both won because I had made it through it without laughing or letting him know that I was quite amused and he had learned that once again Mom always knows the truth!!!

Raelynn's last night of karate was Monday night.  She actually was really starting to get it and I think even like it a little :)

Maybe we will try it again in the fall!

LONELY WEEKEND.......

Well we survived Monday!  Yea!  But after a lonely weekend, Monday was nothing!  Unbelievably I allowed Cooper to take a road trip without us.  We have been trying to get down to visit our good friends that moved to Tulsa last year but we have yet to make it.   Coop misses his buddy and so when the opportunity arose for him to make the trip, I couldn’t help but let him go.  Kelly’s sister, Steph, was going down to visit and Kaden has a birthday coming up this week so Coop went with her.  They left early afternoon on Friday and got back Sunday evening.  It was by far the longest couple of days I have had in awhile!!!  Kelly and Steph were awesome thought and kept me updated with pictures and texts each day.  Coop says he missed us but when Raelynn asked who he missed the most, he said it was Sissy!  And when Coop and Steph got back into town, Coop wanted to go to her house and live with her.  He said we could just get another boy and name him Cooper!  Boy was I feeling the love L!  When I was snuggling with him at bedtime I asked him if he missed me just a little and he said he missed his whole family even Poho so I guess I will believe him but there is no question we have an independent boy! 

On top of Coop being gone, Raelynn had a sleep over on Saturday night and left about 4pm and I didn't pick her up until noon on Sunday.  So needless to say with both kids gone it was a long and boring weekend! Terry got some work on the basement done though and I got a manicure and watched one of Raelynn's friends at her gymnastics competition which was fun!  Friday night though Raelynn and I were on a movie watching marathon!

EMOTIONAL WEEKEND.........

If you have followed my blog for any time at all you probably know that I treat this blog as my journal. I started this blog after being encouraged to do so by Tom when we found out about Coop's heart defects.  He said it would be a good way to keep everyone up to date.  I thought it was a great idea but it turned into so much more.  At the end of every year, I use a program that converts my blog into a hard back book and I order one for each of the kids.  My idea is that when the kids are older and raising families of their own or if should something happen to me, they will have a journal of everything we did, the thoughts I had and so much more.  That is why I often write with so much description because I want them to know and understand what they mean to me.  Both the kids know that I blog and have even been known to request certain embarrassing situation not be discussed on the blog, and they glance at the books when they come in so today when Raelynn and I stood in line at the grocery store and overheard two ladies talking and one of the ladies was very vocal about how "stupid" it was to waste your time blogging, Raelynn was very offended.  "Why did that lady say blogging was the "st" word?  (We don't say stupid :) )  I smiled and said, "because apparently she does not see the importance of it?" Raelynn gave her best disgusted look and in her most sassy voice said, "Well I guess she doesn't love her kids!"  I couldn't help but laugh and explained that not everyone used the blog the way I did but it sure did make me feel good that she recognized the reason I do.

Saturday morning was amazing! Cooper's Cause Foundation had the annual Presentation of Funds for 4 great families and awarded a total of $25,500!  This was our largest funding year and brought our totals to 11 families, $52,500 in just 4 years!  I cannot tell you how wonderful presenting the funds to these families is.  It's not how the families react to us and the foundation, but rather knowing that we are actually helping them in a big way and knowing that we just passed on a little of love that has been given to us.  It is really hard to explain how this day always makes me feel and as the kids get older and become more involved and understand the whole concept better, it just gets more emotional and more important to me.  The truth is the foundation has given our family more than we will ever be able to give back!  

After the presentation we headed to Coop's last soccer game of the season.  Thanks to some great friends who picked him up from the presentation, he was able to make it for his last game.  We made it in time to get the picture of him getting his medal :)

Saturday evening was our monthly Family Meeting.  This meeting was held at Henry T's so we got to enjoy a little dinner out along with our meeting.  We always point out things we like and things we need to improve on.  This month the things we liked  were our efforts to stay healthy and the snow days :() The things we need to work on are having healthy snacks and thinking of others before making our decisions. I love the things they come up with!  These meetings are really going well.  Our new business was focusing on planning our summer vacation so the planning has began!  This year we are headed to Colorado.  Last year we had to delay this destination but this year nothing is stopping us!

As most know, the subject of death is a very open subject in our house and discussed with no hesitation.  We have always felt it is important to be open with the kids considering the struggles we have had with Coop.  On Saturday at one point in the afternoon Coop said, "Mom do you know you can die in a car accident?"  I acknowledged that I did but inquired why he asked.  "I saw on a show that you can die in a car accident."  Now I don't know where this all came from because at this point we got a little sidetracked.  Raelynn piped in, "Mom, I'm torn because if I die everything is good in heaven with God but I think I would miss being here with my family."  I smiled and said, "I think a lot of people are torn about this but the good thing is we don't chose when we die, God does."  Raelynn laughed and said that was a really good thing to which Cooper responded, "yea that is really good and I am really glad God has chose for me not to die yet and just keeps fixing my heart." "Me too Coop" Raelynn said and off they both ran laughing and playing.  These are the times I am so thankful the kids cannot read what is in my mind or feel the lump in my throat or the knot in my stomach or the fear I push so deep because I love their lack of fear of death and their innocents in discussing it.  I hope they can always hold on to their strength!

Today we heard this morning that my uncle is in the ICU with pneumoniaa and is not doing well.  After church I told Raelynn about it and we discussed pneumoniaa was and so forth.  It was later this afternoon that I had picked up my phone when I heard a text from my Mom with an update.  While I had my phone I checked my email and there was an email from Raelynn.  Now first let me clarify that she does have an email but it is only used between she and those I have chose her to communicate with and it is all ran through my iCloud so I see all emails that come and go from her account.....Anyway..... this is only the 2nd email I have received from her in the 3 months she has had it so I quickly clicked on it to see why she was emailing me when we had been together all day.  The email is posted below:

Sometimes I Whisper

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
—Psalm 46:1

Sent from my iPod

Tears came to my eyes and I couldn't help forwarding it to my family.  How appropriate and how scary that my 7 year old was schooling me on scripture when it was just what I needed as I worried about my uncle and my Mom.  After a while and after I could be sure I wouldn't cry, I asked her why she sent it.  She was very casual and just said, "Oh I get those all the time from my devotional app and like that one and thought you could use that today."  I thanked her and just walked away in amazement.

Her encouragement was also present on Friday.  After a trying day and week in general, Raelynn brought this home to me on Friday.  

So here we are, another wonderful week ahead of us and I am approaching it with a new revitalized attitude.  We are all so fortunate to be given the beautiful gifts we have and just need to remember to take time to appreciate them!