LOVE THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, SAD IT IS ALL COMING TO AN END....

December has to be one of the best months of the year.  I love the excitement and the family time.  It is always so crazy but also so much fun.  The kids head back to school tomorrow which is sad.  It means we have to get back to a routine, bedtimes, early mornings, etc.  I am never ready for it.  I love coming home over my lunch hour to my giggly kids and seeing what they have dreamed up while I was gone.  I love letting them stay up later to snuggle why we watch TV or go to an AMAZING late night KU game!  I guess I just wish I had more time with them, fun time, not time when I am telling them to get in the shower, brush your teeth, pack your lunch, blahblahblah.  Anyway, needless to say, I am not excited to see them go back but it is part of life and another sign of them growing up.......tear, tear.

So back to the fun stuff!  Last night's KU game against OU was AWESOME!  3 Overtimes!  Are you kidding me!?  The kids had a blast, I mean who wouldn't.  It was super fun and I loved being there as a family.  It was well worth the late night.  Santa brought us the tickets this year and we are so grateful!  The kids lucked out that they still had one more day off so they slept the morning away while Terry and I dragged ourselves out of bed.  My 4am alarm came way too early, but again well worth it.

So I have a little sad news, sad to me anyway.  I have been thinking about this for some time and finally decided it was time.  This will be my last blog post, it is coming to an end.  It has been so much fun to do over the past 8 years but things are changing and it isn't as fun for me any more and has become a chore.  The problem is the kids are growing up.  They now read the blog and therefore some of my funniest stories and thoughts I can no longer post.  It has taken the fun out of it for me.  I love sharing some of the amazing things the kids do and say from my point of view but it's often not what I want to share with them at this age.  I print this blog into a book at the end of every year and I always knew the kids would read it some day when they were grown up and would love it.  But for them to read it now it just limits what I can post.  It's also out of respect to them.  They are getting old enough that they don't want me to share some of our stories.  They are awesome stories to us as adults but to them they can be embarrassing or humiliating at times.  I would never ask them to stop reading the blog because that just seems wrong, I mean it is their life story I write about.  Anyway, bottom line it is time to bring this blog to an end.  Some day I might take it up again with a different focus but for now I will have find another way to document our crazy lives as our amazing kids grow up.

Thank you to everyone that has offered us support, laughter, advice, encouragement and love through this blog over the past 8 years.  We appreciate each and every comment along them.  Thank you!  As many of my posts ended.......I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings!

MY HEART IS FULL......

Cooper turned 8 today.  We had a wonderful day.  It involved family, ice skating and presents, the perfect birthday for my 8 year old.  As I tucked him into bed I almost starting crying.  He was so excited about his gifts and could not stop chatting about them and although I wanted to listen to him all I could think about was where we were 8 years ago and how incredibly hard it was.  This happens to me at each of his birthdays but I just think about our journey over the last 8 years.  There has been so many tears shed but even more happiness and laughter.  Cooper has changed our lives in a way I can never describe but in every way it has improved us each individually and as a family.  I want nothing more than that sweet boy to be happy and happy he is.  It was a wonderful day!  I am also so thankful for such a great family who does everything they can to be a part of my kids' lives.  I love that about our family.  Even if they can't make it, they call and let the kids know they are thinking of them, for all of them, I am so thankful.

Thanksgiving was awesome as well.  As usual we went to Bonnie's for Thanksgiving and ate way too much food.  What was different this year was that Raelynn was by my side cooking and it made Thanksgiving even better than it usually is.  She made 3 pies all herself and helped me whip up 10lbs of mashed potatoes, rolls and stuffing.  I cannot tell you how amazing it was to be with her cooking and laughing and complaining a little too, I mean pealing 10lbs of potatoes is not that much fun.  Thanksgiving morning we were running late and as I jumped in the shower and was rushing around, Raelynn runs in and says, "Ok Mom everything's loaded in the car so when you're ready we should be good to go...."  Where did I get these amazing kids!?  I smiled and thanked them and before long we were off.  It made for a super Thanksgiving.  There is much to be thankful for.  When I asked the kids to name one thing they were thankful for Raelynn answered her horse and Coop answered his friends.  They both spoke to my kids' loves and it made me smile.  What am I thankful for?  My family.  I am blessed beyond belief.  I am happy.  I am content.  I am in love.  I am loved.  There is little more anyone could want.

So after this long weekend and so much fun it is time to get back to work.  Working out, cooking dinner, going to work, shopping for the holidays and a thousand things in between.  It's my life and it's perfect!

HE DOESN'T GIVE US MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE....

I firmly believe God does not give us more than we can handle.  I also believe he has a sense of humor.  After all the medical challenges we have been given with Cooper, I think God finds great humor in watching me deal with Raelynn when she has an ailment.  Today I had to pick her up early from school because she did not feel well.  She didn't have a fever but her throat, head and stomach hurt.  When I picked her up I felt bad for her.  Her eyes were almost tearing up and you could tell she just didn't feel good.  I took her to the doctor because there was a large amount of kids in her class out with strep.  She tested negative for strep so they determined it was just a viral thing and had to run its coarse.  Good news right?  Well I think I would have rather been able to medicate her.  For the next 3 hours she wined and whimpered like she was dying.  Seriously?!  I could do nothing but laugh.  All I could do was thank God that he gave Cooper the medical issues and not Raelynn because had it been reversed I can guarantee I would never make it.  Finally about 8 o'clock Raelynn fell asleep.  The silence was awesome.  I love that girl so much but she is definitely a bundle of drama at times.  I can only hope and pray she wakes up feeling much better tomorrow because if I have to spend an entire day listening to her near death moans and groans I may not make it!  Lol!

What a weekend we had.  Coop participated in a soccer tournament and he and his team did an amazing job.  It was a great group of boys and parents.  He played Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  They ended up playing in the championship game and going into sudden death to win it.  Honestly it was so exciting.  I loved every minute of it.   Then Sunday night it was finally back to Lawrence for Raelynn's basketball game.  I am lucky enough to be helping coach her team.  Again, a huge challenge but they improved from last week and that is all we can ask for.  I love basketball and Raelynn really enjoys it as well which makes me happy.  She works very hard and I am proud of her efforts.  It's something she does that I understand and so many of the things she says and talks about in regards to it I remember thinking and feeling the same way.  It is one of the few activities we have in common.

Saturday was Terry's Birthday so after we got back from the soccer tournament we  met up with his sisters and brother and had dinner.  Raelynn wanted to surprise Terry with going to the new Peanuts movie that was just released.  Terry loves the Peanuts comic strip and when Raelynn found out the movie was being released the weekend of his birthday she insisted that be what we do for his birthday.  He loved it and it was a fun night at the movies.

So we have been having so much fun and considering it is November and the holidays are right around the corner, we have so much more fun ahead!  I wish every day could be a weekend!

I AM OFFICIALLY OLD!

Unfortunately I have finally entered into the 40 Club!  I must admit that age does bother me a little.  The thing is I don't feel like I should appear "old" to my kids.  I remember my parents being 40 and I thought it was sooooooo old.  Now that just depresses me!  I asked Raelynn if I looked 40, without hesitation she said "Yes, but you look better than most Mom's that are 40!"  I really wanted to take that as a compliment but I am still unsure if I should.  I will say that I couldn't be happier with my life at 40 though.  I have a wonderful family, good job, nice home and great friends.  Therefore I guess I will just embrace my 40's! 

Saturday was my birthday and I started it out with a little workout and then was off to a horse show with Raelynn.  From there I took Coop to his soccer game and then back out to the horse show in time to watch Raelynn in races.  It was your average crazy Saturday.  At about 5pm Terry tells me we have reservations for dinner at 6pm so he hoped this was over soon.  What!? I was shocked and happy but at the same time could have used that information about an hour before so I could go home and get ready.  I left them all at the horse show and headed home to get ready.  By the time Terry got home and took the kids over to Andrea's, I was ready to go.  We headed out for our date night and Terry pulled in to Henry T's.  Now if you live here you know you do not need reservations for T's so I was a little suspicious.  To my surprise there was Andrea, Vince, Cody and Steph to celebrate my birthday with us.  I was so excited to see them all.  A night out with my great husband and my best friends was PERFECT!  We had a blast and I couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate my birthday.  I can't thank them all enough for making me feel special.  Steph even got a little creative and made me the perfect birthday cake.

I am truly thankful for my friends and family!

So after my fun weekend and achieving absolutely nothing over the weekend, Monday rolled around much too quickly.  I had no menu planned, no workouts outlined, the house was not cleaned, work was not complete and I was still finishing up laundry as I got up Monday morning.  Both Raelynn and Coop started basketball this week.  I am helping coach Raelynn's team and Coop is still finishing up soccer as well.  It has made for a pretty crazy week and we can't forget the late night everyone had last night watching the Royals in 14 Innings!!!!  Raelynn has her last Lights On performance tomorrow night.  It is so hard to believe we are having "lasts" for elementary school.  She is growing up way too fast and over the past month or so it has been so evident.  I truly hope she and I's relationship can maintain the way it is now.  I love her and she needs me so much now but in such a different way than when she was little.  I hope I never let her down and can always figure out how to be there for her even when she doesn't think she needs me.  This Mom gig is a tough one and by far the best thing I have EVER done in my life!!!!!

PUMPKIN PATCH 2015

Oh what fun we had this weekend!  Every year our entire family tries to get together to go to the pumpkin patch.  This year Sherri and Kendal weren't able to make it due to work schedules but the rest of us did.  It was a full day on Saturday starting early with the first of 2 soccer games for Coop.

We followed that with our annual trip to the pumpkin patch

Then it was off for a shopping spree for my birthday which was super fun for me.  Mom, Steph, Karli and I went to my favorite place and I loved it!!!

Then it was home for taco soup and some cards.  It was a great day.  We were exhausted but it was so much fun.  Family memories are the best ever!