Watching the Weeds Grow

Sure to make you smile!

2012-02-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! I'm going through old videos and came across this one...

Now how cute is that? I could seriously watch this over and over. Shake it buddy! He obviously gets his dance skills from his daddy. : )

{Coop was about ten months old showing us his dance skills off in this video.}

Love.

2012-01-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

Awe, the men in my life.

How they make me smile.

And absolutely melt my heart!

2012-01-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

Could this boy be any cuter?

Nope, don't think so! : )

Did you notice the Christmas tree in the background? Well, these pictures are from a while ago. I told you I have a TON of catching up to do! Much to Gigi's dismay, we took our Christmas decorations down the weekend after Christmas. Trust me, if I could have had it my way they would have stayed up until at least the end of January! ; )

Friday Quicky!

2012-01-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! It has been way too long! We had a fabulous Christmas and it seems like since we returned from our ten days on the road {yes, TEN days!} we've hit the ground running and haven't had the chance to slow down and just relax. I'm hoping this weekend we'll get that opportunity to do exactly that though.

For now, I just wanted to pop in to say hi. I have so many new post ideas floating around in my head and way too many pictures to share, but just haven't had the time. Hopefully this weekend I'll get the chance to catch up a bit. To add to the madness, we have some exciting changes for our family in the works and I'll be sure to share more about that soon too {no our family is not growing!}. For now, prayers that everything works out in God's timing would be greatly appreciated!

Happy weekend and a belated Happy 2012, my friends!

Overflowing.

2011-12-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Each day as we get closer and closer toChristmas, I feel myself overflowing. Overflowing with last minutes things todo. Overflowing with things to pack. Overflowing with parties to attend. Mykitchen sink overflowing with dirty dishes, but most importantly, the feeling of overflowingwith joy and love. I know it is cliché. I know you hear it a lot this time ofyear, but I am so beyond thrilled to get to have the next week off and to spendChristmas first with my family and then with Paul’s. It warms my heart to makemy family, co-workers, and friends smile with small little tokens of appreciation. Ilove to see my sweet little girl’s eyes light up at the thought of Jesus’sbirthday and Santa sneaking into our house to fill our stockings and to leave gifts under the tree.

I love this time of year and the way it bringsthe best out in people. It causes us all to slow down a bit and reflect on thepast year. I wish we had this Christmas fever year round – doing random acts ofkindness, giving a little extra, putting extra thought into special gifts forthe ones near and dear to our hearts, and creatively stimulating our sweetlittle one's minds with exciting traditions. Maybe what makes this time of yearso special is the fact that it does bring out the best in people, but why can't we all be that way allyear?

My goal for 2012 is to live with this excitement and joy yearround, to live purposefully, and to enjoy the simple and the big things. I like to believe I already do this, but know I can do better. It is easy to get caught up in the hustle andbustle of our every day lives. It’s easy to wish things were different at times. Instead of focusing on whatthings need to change we should try harder to focus on what we have and the fact that it isexactly how it is supposed to be. God has blessed me with an amazing life,family, and friends and has me where I am for a reason. I hope to live my lifeout to the fullest, with purpose, and appreciating what I have all the way.

Tonight as I’m trying to pack, clean, finalize presents,and fill the car I want to keep focused on why we’re doing all this. I want to soak it all up and enjoy every minute of it. I won't letit overwhelm me, but instead to overflow my heart with thanks, peace, and joy.May you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and a year full of blessings! We’llbe the car driving from one point of the state to the other overflowingwith things and, most importantly, love!

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

This boy loves his books...

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is Coop's newest hang out.

He'll go missing every once in a while and sure enough, nine times out of ten, he'll be in his room rocking away while reading books. {The other times you can find him in the bathroom stealing toothbrushes out of the drawer. Silly boy loves toothbrushes almost as much as he loves books.}

I just love how tiny he looks up there on his big rocking chair, legs crossed, and his sweet little cheesey grin.

Little Drummer Boy

2011-12-16T16:54:00.000-08:00

Come they told me, pa rumpum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pumpum pum,
When we come.

Baby Jesus, pa rum pum pumpum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, parum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pumpum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, parum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Go Cougs!!!

2011-12-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

We've been loving us some Coug basketball this year. The first game we took the kids to was a bust. As in, we had to leave two minutes into the second half because a certain little girl was being a complete pill. We decided to give it another go this past weekend. The game was at 1:00 on Sunday -- which is during nap time so we weren't too sure how the kids would do. They both woke up early Sunday morning and I was able to get them both down for naps by 10:30 {so unheard of in our household}. And they were both wonderful at the game! I snapped a few pictures on my phone {horrible quality, but oh so cute!}.

Could Coop's little face be any sweeter?!

And check out our little cheerleader!

Cheering on the Cougs.

On Thursday evening we took our annual trip to see "Santa Butch" and Santa at the WSU Alumni Centre. Isabelle was so excited to see Santa. She could hardly contain herself. Cooper did really well with both Santa and Butch. While waiting in line Izzy kept repeating to herself, "Butch is just a guy dressed up. I don't have to be nervous."

As you can see, she still isn't ready to sit on Butch's lap {she would not let go of her daddy}, but at least she's smiling. Unlike 2009.

And one with Santy. : )

Snow day!

2011-11-30T14:28:00.001-08:00

We had our first real snow a couple weeks ago. Paul's parents and grandma were on their way over the mountains and it snowed all day until they got into town. Fortunately the roads weren't too bad for them. The snow only stuck around for a couple days and has since melted. No new snow yet, besides a couple skiffs here and there. I'm ready for snow now that it's almost December, but would be thrilled if it only stuck around until after the new year. Rumor has it, it's supposed to be a brutal winter so we'll see. At least it's fun to play in!

First "snow woman" of the season. See her beautiful dress?

Coop checking the snow out.

Last year we set him out in the snow for some pictures, but this is his first real taste of snow.

Sister's favorite... SNOW ANGELS!!!

Momma's little man and Daddy's little girl.

Say, "Cheese!"

{Hi, Grandma and Great Grandma peeking out the window in the back.}

It was easier for Coop to get around on grandpa's shoulders.

Then we came in and enjoyed some nice warm hot cocoa with Grandma and Great Grandma.

Now we're ready for some more snow days!

* * * * *

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Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Picture taken by Isabelle.

Let the Holidays Begin!

2011-11-14T15:34:00.001-08:00

Last night we decided to put the Christmas tree up. Paul initiated it this year so of course I was on board. Typically it's me who is begging to put the tree up way too early. I always feel like Christmas just flies by so I love getting the house festive early. We were excited to have both kids help in decorating the tree and they were excited too. Well, Sis was excited; Coop on the other hand didn't really know what was going on (at first).

Don't let this sweet face deceive you. At first he was hesitant and just watched from the sidelines.

And clapped once the lights came on. But in no time he was an ornament snatching machine! No sooner than Isabelle put a new ornament on was Coop there to rip it off. She was less than thrilled.

You see, sister took her ornament hanging very seriously and was such a great little helper.

I manage to pull Isabelle away from her duties fast enough to snap a couple pictures of our big girl. I can't believe how grown up she is looking these days. Makes me sad to see how quickly she's growing up.

Oh yes, back to the tree...

Someone was jealous of someone else being in Daddy's lap. Daddy quickly reminded her there is always room for both. I tried to snap a cute photo of the three of them before the Ornament Snatcher tried to wriggle free. : ) Then we were back to work.

Yep, I was there too. Isabelle snapped this picture of the two of us. Her new favorite thing is taking pictures so maybe I'll start to showing up in more.

And now we'll patiently wait for Christmas all the while trying to keep the ornaments on the tree!

Mini-Me.

2011-11-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

Minus the drool soaked shirt.

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-11-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! {2011}

2011-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

First batch of the Halloween festivities... Enjoy!

Pumpkin carving time!

Cheese!

"Hmm, this is interesting."

{This is the closest I was able to get him to the pumpkins and pumpkin guts.}

Hair pinned up for curls on Halloween morning.

Happy Halloween!!!

Strike a pose!

Excited and ready to go to school!

So sweet.

Quick picture of the princess and the MAD dragon on our way out the door!

He was done taking pictures by this point.

Plus, I'm sure his toes were cold... oops!

{I'll accept my Mom-of-the-year award now...}

Izzy and her teacher, Miss Angie.

And a couple more of the princess from Saturday night's party. She wore her hair up like Cinderella and even wore some makeup. : )

Pumpkin Patch with the Weeds!

2011-10-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

We took a trip over the mountains a few weekends ago {yes, I'm behind on my posts} to visit Paul's family. On Saturday we took a trip to the pumpkin patch. The weather was beautiful and the kids {big and small} had a blast!

Our little worker/dirt eater. : )

On the hunt for the perfect pumpkin.

Uncle Joel and his little buddy.

Checking out the animals.

See the big kids had fun too! Grandpa couldn't convince any of the little kids to ride the monster truck with him so Paul obliged while the rest of us looked on.

Having fun with cousin Ryan.

Cheese!

Next up, I took the girls through the corn maze. We had a blast!

I haven't been in a corn maze in ages, but these two little cuties sure brought back the memories. They were so excited as we found each mailbox to complete our puzzle and would crack up as we came to a dead end. So much fun!

Thanks for a great weekend on the Westside!

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-10-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Adventures!

2011-10-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend while daddy was off hunting we soaked up, what I believe might just be, the last bit of warm weather this fall has to offer. We decided we would have a day (actually just a morning) full of adventures with our girl guiding the way.

First up, the princess wanted to help make the breakfast of her choice, Cream of Wheat. What can I say, she's easy to please.

The little man is adamant about feeding himself. Which is great except that it means I have even more of a mess to clean up after each meal.

{Notice his poor red eye? His cold crept up to his eye, but fortunately only lasted a few days.}

Then, we were off to the park to feed the ducks. They were hungry and out in full force! Cooper enjoyed watching his sister as she enthusiastically threw bread to the hungry gang.

Then I had the bright idea to let him free. This kid has NO fear! He went running right after the ducks and kept trying to go straight into the water.

The last thing I wanted to do was jump into that dirty water to save my boy so I tried to distract him by sitting him on the bench.

That lasted about five seconds.

Off to the playground for a bit and then someone was ready for a nap.

Next, we headed to pick some flowers! Just a short drive east out of town and into the open fields to the U-Pick Flowers Farm. Can I just say how absolutely perfect this place is? Why has it taken us this long to finally visit this little gem? We will definitely be back again.

Coop fell asleep on the way there and slept in the car the entire time. So sister and I had some alone time to enjoy the flower garden.

Girlfriend was in HEAVEN! She loves her flowers and the idea of being able to pick as many as she wanted was amazing to her.

Although, she wasn't too found of the bees.

Seven dollars and an hour later and we had a gorgeous bouquet of flowers plus some sunflowers and a bag full of fun memories. Can't beat that!

The day was quite simple, but Isabelle thought it was the best adventure she'd ever been on. We took our time and soaked up every minute. We slowed down and just enjoyed the weekend. That's what it's all about anyways, right?

What are your plans for the upcoming weekend? I think we'll go on another adventure. We'll see where our girl leads us this time!

Forever remembered, Forever missed.

2011-10-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

We love you Grandpa/Great Grandpa Weed. God gained another angel this weekend. Thank you for being such an amazing man. Your love for your family was felt by all of us and we will forever miss you, but never forget you. We look forward to the day we will meet again in heaven.

A picture.

2011-09-10T09:24:00.001-07:00

I came out this morning to this picture propped up on the fireplace. Our girl said she drew a picture of her daddy and wants to keep it up for him to see when he gets home from hunting. She has been perfecting her people-drawing skills for a few weeks now and I think she's getting pretty darn good at it.

I mean, she even drew eye brows! : )

A belated glimpse into the CIRCUS PARTY!

2011-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Phew! I am way over due for a post about the circus birthday party we had for the kiddos on August 13th. We've been trying to soak up these last few weeks of summer, but are now slowly adjusting back to our normal fall routine. We are no longer working summer hours and are back to the regular 8-5. As much as I would much rather have the summer hours year round, it's been nice to have the students back on campus and to settle back into our little routine.

Ah yes, back to the reason for this post -- The CIRCUS PARTY! Isabelle and Cooper woke up from their naps right before guests started to arrive and were so excited about the "big top" and balloons in the living room.

A BIG thanks to my momma and Jules for all their help with decorating, food prep, house prep, kid prep... you get the idea. : )

Each little one at the party received a goody bag complete with their own clown nose, mini circus animals, glow sticks, animal crackers, bubbles, pinwheel lolly pop and circus peanuts.

I made ice cream cone and popcorn cupcakes, Cooper's smash cake and my mom made a jell-o cake {my dad's favorite -- the 13th was his 50th birthday so of course we had to have candles for him too.}
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but check out these adorable popcorn cupcakes. I was quite proud of how well they turned out. I used mini marshmallows, cut an x in the top of each, smooshed the edges a bit, and sprayed with yellow food coloring to look like butter.

We had cotton candy, colorful candied popcorn, elephant ears, mini corn dogs, hot dogs, hamburgers, and coleslaw. {Yep, real healthy...}Oh yeah, there was watermelon and cantaloupe too!

The kids got their faces painted, played in the ball pit, took pictures in the photo booth {a separate post on that coming soon!}, played bean bag toss, and were entertained by a special guest clown. : )

How sweet are these boys? Best buddies!

And one last one of the cupcakes... because I'm that giddy about them. I know, I'm a nerd!

The party was a blast and everything turned out perfectly. We missed all of you that weren't able to make it, but understand how busy this time of year can be.

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Boy!

2011-08-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Peek-a-boo!

Guess who's ONE?!

This boy!!!

-----

We can't believe a year has already gone by. It honestly feels like yesterday that we were at the hospital just meeting this sweet, sweet boy. I never could have imagined how truly in love and blessed I would feel after having Cooper join our family. What a wonderful year it has been!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! We love you more than you'll ever know, but hopefully you feel it every day in every way. You have completed our family and we are so, so blessed to call you our son.

Cake.

2011-08-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

Cooper took a while to dig into his birthday cake. He plopped his hands down onto the top of the cake and kept them there for quite a while. He did finally put his nose down to the cake and got a little dab of frosting on his nose. He sat very seriously trying to figure out what his next move should be. Isabelle and Dillon showed him what he was supposed to do and he thought it was hilarious! After some prompting from his big sister and cousin {and Grandpa putting his hand to his mouth} he knew exactly what to do.

He sucked on his right hand while keeping his left planted into the cake. He sucked and sucked his hand until most of the frosting was off. You'll notice two big bites out of the front of the cake -- these were from Izzy and Dill. So Coop ended up not even really eating much cake, but he did a nice job of making a mess of it! It was so cute to see how he handled his cake so differently than his sister did on her first birthday. All done! : )

THREE!

2011-08-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet little girl!

Dear Isabelle:

It is so hard to believe you are already three. You are getting so big and turning into such a little girl. We love you so incredibly much. Your sweet, sensitive, independent, kind, and loving personality is so special to us. We thank God every day for bringing you into our lives. The day you were born our lives were changed forever -- it was the most special day ever.

We love how much of a girly girl you are. You love your jewelry, sparkles and all things pink and princesses. You also have your rough and tumble side and we just adore that too {Daddy especially}! You love to wrestle, play in the dirt, and keep up with all the boys you are surrounded by. {Check out the band aids on your left leg!} You're never scared to try new things and we love how brave you are.

Thank you for filling our days with such joy! You are amazing and we love you more than you will ever know. We look forward to watching you develop into a little girl and to see what this next year brings us. Don't grow too fast and promise you'll always be our little girl.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-08-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ten on Tuesday.

2011-08-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Time to check in and try to get back to blogging! As I warned earlier in the summer, we’ve been busy and honestly, updating this thing has been low on my priority list. No offense or anything. : )

I always see these fun little weekly posts people do on their blogs and wish I was creative enough to come up with my own, but I’m not. So just like “Wordless Wednesday”, I’m copying “Ten on Tuesday”. So here’s my ten random tidbits for you… enjoy!

I’m in full party preparation mode! We’re celebrating Isabelle and Cooper’s birthday this Saturday, under the big top! I’m so excited and trying not to stress, but I know once Friday rolls around I’ll be cramming way too much into one night. It’s so worth it though.

I’ve been going for evening runs/walks each night and am loving it! I’m not one who just loves to work out and running does not come naturally to me, but it has felt great to finally start exercising again. It’s tough to fit in a workout with two little ones running around. I don’t want to get up any earlier than I already do and I don’t want to go when I can be spending precious time with them. So, after bedtime it is {plus the sun goes down and the temperature drops}. Hopefully I can keep this up.

Our baby girl is going to be three on Friday… THREE! I cannot believe it and it actually gets me all teary-eyed thinking about it. How is it possible?

We’re making Friday afternoon a special girl’s day and getting her ears pierced! She’s been asking for months. We’re both so excited!

Cooper has another set of ear infections. Poor little man! Every time he gets a cold it goes straight to his ears. If this antibiotic doesn’t work he’ll have to get tubes.

While at the doctor we also had blood drawn to check to see if he has food allergies. I gave him peanut butter on toast a couple weeks ago and he instantly got welts around his mouth and cheeks. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but it doesn’t look too good. If he has a peanut allergy, we’ll just have to roll with it.

I was in my cousin Amanda’s wedding on Saturday. She was absolutely stunning! It was so fabulous to be able to spend so much time with her and see her so happy. And the icing on the cake? I loved my dress! It’s definitely one of those that I’ll wear again.

The students are starting to trickle into town. They bring such a great energy to campus and the community. It’s easy to complain about the extra traffic and longer lines at the grocery store, but overall it’s an exciting time of year around here.

I’m not ready for summer to end. Plain and simple.

But I am excited for fall and all that comes with it – football games, pumpkin spice lattes {oh, pumpkin spice lattes how I love thee}, sweaters, Green Bluff, scarves, and hunting… Wait a second! Scratch that last one! That means I’ll be a widow for the next few months. ;0)

Well, there you have it! Happy Tuesday my friends!

A missed milestone.

2011-07-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

Somehow I missed posting about a major milestone for Isabelle.

On June 13th Isabelle started her first day of junior preschool. She was so ready and is absolutely loving it! I snapped these pictures of her by her cute little cubbie on her first day and had to share them.

Swim Lessons

2011-07-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Isabelle began her first year of official swim lessons with Dede Boone this summer. She was so excited and so were we. Dede has been giving swimming lessons to kids in Pullman for the past 45 years. She was a swimmer at WSU and is an amazing teacher. In 1965 her parents put a swimming pool in their back yard for her. At ages 93 and 97, they still live in their home and Dede gives her swim lessons in their pool. She keeps the pool around 90 degrees. She says it's one of her tricks to helping the kiddos learn faster. They stay warm and can focus their energy into their swimming rather than shivering the entire time.

It seemed to do the trick! Can you tell how much Isabelle loved her swim lessons? A little different story from her first day last year {and yes, you'll notice she is wearing the same swimsuit last year as in the first picture on this post... gotta love that all her swimsuits from last year still fit this year!}.

Going under like a duck on the first day.

You'll notice how in every picture she has a smile on her face. When I was going through all my pictures, there wasn't a single one she wasn't smiling in.

Swimming like a frog to Dede.

Tummy float with "no wiggles".

Swimming with "big arms" {free style}.

Swimming in the deep end.

Safe jumps. {Even smiling in midair!}

The last 15 minutes is free time. The kids put on floaties and can jump off the diving board, go down the slide {Izzy's favorite}, and play with all the fun pool toys.

What a fun two weeks! We can't believe how much Isabelle learned in those two short weeks. We're already looking forward to next year! : )

Happy Summering!

2011-07-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Why yes, we are still alive! We’ve just been enjoying this busy summer. From weddings to baby showers, swim lessons to BBQ’s, time at the lake to time in the backyard – we’re soaking up the summer as much as possible. The weather has finally decided to cooperate so we are taking full advantage.

Isabelle started swim lessons this week and is loving it. {I’ll have a post with pictures soon.} She’s even more of a little water bug this year than last! Over the 4th of July weekend we were up at my parents’ on Diamond Lake and she just loved the water. After Dillon went down the water slide, she said she wanted to go too. I was shocked and kept asking her as we walked down the dock if she was sure she wanted to go off the slide. She was determined, climbed up that ladder with ease, and faster than we could snap a picture, she pushed off and down the slide she went with a big splash to follow. As she came up for air she had a big grin on her face. She was so proud of herself and so were we. She's becoming such a big girl.

Speaking of getting big, Cooper is on the verge of walking. Just in the last couple of weeks he’s started taking 2 – 4 steps at a time. Yesterday, he let go of my legs and took five steps away from me before slowing lowering himself down to the ground and crawling away. I honestly can't believe he's already big enough to start walking. It won’t be long and he’ll be even more on the go. If his walking is anything like his crawling, he’ll be running everywhere rather than walking. That boy is quick!

Well, that’s about the newest and most exciting happenings in our household these days. I’d say I’ll be posting more frequently, but, honestly, I probably won’t. You’ll find me outside enjoying this warm weather and time with my family as much as possible because far too soon the students will begin trickling back into town which means only one thing – fall {and winter} are just around the corner. Boo!

I’m sure once falls rolls around I will have nearly a million pictures to upload and share, but until then, bare with me and my lack of updates. We'll be happy summering and hope you are too!

Trail.

2011-06-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

There's this trail just a block away from our house. That leads us through tall grass and under a canopy of maple trees. Our girl loves it here.
She dances and sings while spinning with her hands up in the air -- mesmerized by the green ceiling above her. Thin beams of sunlight try to peak in between the leaves while the heat is mellowed by the shade they provide. We are excited to reunite with this favorite place of ours as the summer slowly decides to come out to play.
{Had to snap these pictures with my phone. We had an impromptu visit to the "forest" and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture it. Next time I'm taking my camera!}

While momma washes the windows.

2011-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

We get them dirty for her to wash again!

It's a good thing they're so stinkin' cute! ;0)

Ten months old.

2011-06-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Another month just flew past us and Cooper is now only two months away from turning one!And how scrumptious is he? His chubby cheeks, his thick hairs {that grows so fast -- already ready for haircut #3!}, his long eyelashes, his sweet personality, his big open mouth kisses, his squeals and kicks of excitement, his babbling, his big toothy smiles, his speedy crawling, his playfulness, his curiosity... the list goes on. We love this boy so incredibly much!
Man, we're blessed! : )

Summer.

2011-06-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday felt like summer. Not the weather. Definitely not this weather, but something about yesterday felt good.

::

I started the day with a 5AM walk/run around the neighborhood. The birds were chirping, cows were mooing in the distance, the sun was shining, the air was fresh and crisp and I was happy. When the alarm clock went off I wanted that extra half hour of sleep so badly, but knew if I just got up and moving I'd feel better. And I did.

As I finished my little jaunt through the nearby pasture and along the trail that is umbrellaed by maple trees, I couldn't help but feel in awe. In awe, of this amazing life I have. It felt good to take a step back from the daily hustle and bustle. And maybe that's what I love most about summer.

::

I love how things start to slow down during the summer. Each outing feels a little less crazy and everyone seems to be so low key. Simple meals, simple outfits, but tons of fun to be had!

We finished the day off yesterday by stopping by the store to grab a pie to take to Isabelle and Cooper's end of the year BBQ at school. I should have made something, but honestly, I didn't mind. It just felt nice to be celebrating the end of the school year and I wasn't going to let my lack of preparation get in the way of my littles and me enjoying a simple celebration.

And she loved the strawberry pie she picked out.

::

Summer is right around the corner!

I'm looking forward to lazy weekends spent at the lake. Watching the kids splash in the water, building sand castles, and soaking in the sun.

::

Dear Mother Nature: Please feel free to let summer out to play! We're ready and waiting patiently. Thank you!

Happy Friday my friends!! Any fun summer plans you have?

An Isabelle update.

2011-06-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been quite a while since I've given an update on our little sweetie. As Isabelle gets older, I find myself not giving the fun little updates on her like I did when she was a baby. I'm much better about giving updates on Cooper. Maybe it's because when they are babies they have checkups every few months, they are developing new skills like none other, and hitting milestones on a regular {sometimes daily} basis.

Over the past couple of months Izzy has been such a little sponge -- sucking the life out of, well, life and soaking everything in. She's always been very observant and excited to learn. You can always see her little wheels a crankin' inside her head. On June 13th she will move up to the junior preschool classroom at school. She is so excited and ready for it. She's been transitioning into this classroom spending mornings or afternoons in with the big kids and has absolutely loved it! I'm excited for her, but it also makes me a little sad. I felt this way when she moved into the toddler room. It's just so hard to believe how quickly she is growing up -- she's becoming such a big girl.

Some of Isabelle's newest accomplishments/updates:

She is beginning to learn addition. She'll hold up two finger on one hand and one on the other and ask, "Mommy, what does two plus one make?" I ask her to count them out and she'll exclaim, "Three!" Then she says, "I know a good one. What does three plus three make?" And we go over and over this. Changing how many fingers we're holding up and counting them one at a time. So fun!

She loves to sing and dance.

She is recognizing letters everywhere. If someone has a shirt with words on it she'll point out certain letters. She also loves to be quizzed on what letter words start with. It is the cutest thing as she sounds out the beginning of the word and the excitement she shows when she gets it right.

Her imagination is hilarious. It is so fun to watch her play independently and hear the stories she makes up with her toys.

Just this past week she's started to say, "Hat and hat rhyme!" or "Ball and ball rhyme!" We then go through words that actually rhyme. She doesn't fully get it, but I'm sure it won't be long.

Her favorite movie is Tangled.

She's becoming more adventurous when it comes to trying {and liking} new foods. She loves all fruits, most veggies, and yogurt. We have to push to get her to eat meat, but she is starting to like chicken breast and roast.

Her favorite color is still pink.

She loves playing dress up {her new thing is to dress up for her "wedding"}, with her babies, and drawing.

She also loves to play with Cooper and keeps a great watch on him. Sometimes she's a little too bossy, but it's still pretty cute.

She can spell her name and pretends to write it.

I could go on and on... all in all, she is growing like a weed and learning as much as she can. It's so fun to have a toddler and to watch her as she develops into her own little self. Speaking of, I'm being beckoned to a tea party!

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-06-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

Our nine month old {as of May 22}.

2011-05-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

He is a speedy little crawler {especially when he's headed to the bathroom... his favorite place in the house}, a babbling talker, new haircut sporting, finger chewing {still has seven teeth and seems he has been working on a couple more for a the past few weeks}, free standing, contagious laughing, big sister loving happy boy!
As you can see, Cooper is transforming into quite the little boy. As much as we wish he could just stay small forever, we are enjoying watching him develop into a little person and loving each new stage as it comes. He is still sweet as ever and happy most of the time. However, his impatient grunts and screeches when he is hungry and not getting food fast enough tells another story. Just in the past couple of weeks he's started to give kisses. His favorite person to kiss on is his daddy. He'll sit on his lap and kiss him over and over making the "awe" sound. :) Can't believe only three short months and we'll be celebrating his one year birthday!

You will be, forever, my baby girl.

2011-05-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Even though she is getting bigger fast than I'd like, there are still those little moments that I look at her and see that little baby girl who changed my life forever. I had no clue what would hit me. The love I would feel for that tiny little angel. And as the past two and a half years have flown by, that love has continued to multiply. I love you so much sweet girl and even though I know you won't be small forever, I know I'll still have those little moments that I'll look at you and see you as my little baby.

Our crawling, standing, hand waving, sweet boy.

2011-05-21T02:36:00.000-07:00

{Isabelle Says}

2011-05-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I've been trying to write down the cute little things Isabelle says. I want to remember these sweet innocent moments forever. I've missed many, but below are a few that are sure to make you giggle a little. :) HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Izzy: “Mommy, how old is Daddy?"
Me: “He is 27, but will be 28 in a month.”
Izzy: “Oh my goodness! I can’t believe it!”

Isabelle says to Paul when he asked her to do something, “You’re killing me Daddio!”

Izzy looking at the first snow of the year: “Ohhh, it is just so BOOTIFUL!!!”

While staring at the dish full of mini Cadbury eggs, Isabelle says, “I think my stomach sounds hungry.” {Oh yeah? Nice try girl… you’ve already had your fair share my dear!}

After my mom told Izzy she wants to be appropriate, Isabelle replies, “No, I don’t want to be appropriate! I'm Isabelle.”

Izzy says to me one night at dinner, “Mommy, Cooper isn’t in your tummy anymore. {Short pause} I want you to get another baby in your belly!”

As Izzy and Paul walked towards her classroom one morning she yells to me, “Bye, mommy! I love you! You go to work now and share with your DADDY, okay?!” {Hilarious!}

It was snowing {again} just a few weeks ago. When Isabelle saw the snow she shouts, "Yay, it's Christmas time again! Santa is coming!"

We were about half way to Diamond Lake one late afternoon when Isabelle exclaimed, “Oh, did you see those birdies?! I bet their flying to our house to eat our bird feeders seeders.”

Out of the blue Isabelle puts her forehead up to my forehead and says, “You’re kidding me, mamma!” {With the cutest big grim on her face.}

After coughing Izzy seriously says, "I have lemon in my throat." {Translation: I have phlegm in my throat. Close! Haha!}

Happy Boy

2011-05-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Someone was as happy as the rest of us about the few sunny days we had last week. Now here's to hoping we have many more to come! We're ready for summer!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last night as I flung myself out of bed at 2:00 a.m. and rushed into a crying little girl's bedroom only to find she had gotten sick all over her bed and herself, I knew it would be a long night. I hate when my little ones are sick, especially with the flu! As I stripped her down and washed her off, I couldn't wait to cuddle her in my arms. I threw the bedding in the wash and new on her bed. We snuggled and she drifted off to sleep. With a bowl by the bed, I didn't sleep much and by the time I finally did fall asleep the littlest one began to cry... it was time for his middle-of-the-night feeding.

I knew I'd be tired in the morning. I knew I would be washing and folding multiple loads of laundry in the morning. But you want to know what, I didn't mind one bit.

This is what being a mommy is all about.

Sure, I would have loved to have slept uninterrupted in my bed last night sleeping in until 7 or 8 this morning. I would have loved to avoided the mess and laundry. But my girl wanted me; she needed me. And although motherhood isn't always glamorous it sure is more than anything I could have ever wished for. To say being a mommy is amazing, gratifying, humbling, life-changing is an understatement. I am beyond blessed to be the mommy to these sweet little peanuts and couldn't imagine life without them.

Mother's Day 2011... nice lazy day with my loves.

And of course I couldn't thank my own mommy enough for the love, support, and guidance she has given to me. Before having my own children I had no idea how much she loved me, but now I do and it makes our relationship that much more special. Thank you for being not only my mom, but also my best friend. I can only hope that one day Isabelle and I can have the kind of relationship we have. I love you!

To Paul's mom, Cindy -- thank you for raising such a great son! He is an amazing father and husband who I am extremely thankful for. Thank you for welcoming me into your family with open arms. We love and miss you!

And finally to our grandmas -- each of you are so special to us and we are blessed more than words can express to have you at the helm of our families. You are amazing mothers, grandmas and now great grandmas. Thank you for all you are and do. We love you!

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms I know! I hope that today you each had a chance to relax and feel appreciated for all that you do. :)

Easter 2011 Highilghts

2011-04-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Izzy overcame her fear of giving Butch T. Cougar a high five! She loves Butch, but would always get nervous when he'd get too close. She always talks about giving him a high five, but usually chickens out when he's up close. But at the community egg hunt this year she was brave. I loved seeing my big girl so proud of herself!

Cooper got to color his first egg. I was a mean mommy and didn't let him get his hands in it, but as you can see he worked real hard trying to get to the eggs and dye. Next year buddy, I promise!

Isabelle and Dillon were great this year. They waited patiently for their eggs while they were dying and were very gentle with the eggs {for the most part... I think Izzy cracked a couple.} And Dane had a blast! He would hold onto his egg the entire time it was in the dye. If you look closely at the picture above you can see his hand in the orange cup just soaking away. He had an orange hand and a green hand the rest of the day. :)

How precious!

Cooper found out he isn't too fond of the grass or being put down anywhere outside for that matter. Soon enough he'll be digging and rolling in the dirt!

One of my favorite memories of Easter as a little girl was dressing up -- the pretty Easter dress, white tights, white shoes, big brimmed hats, gloves, little purses... ah, just love those memories! As you can see, someone else loves the outfit too.

You can't always get the perfect family photo and that's okay. At least we got a picture with all four of us. It was a great day!

Hope you all had a very happy and blessed Easter. We sure did!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Putting carrots out for the Easter Bunny.

{Someone had to sneak a few bites!}

Carrots, note, and empty baskets ready for the Bunny!
{I love that she's old enough to get into this stuff now. So much fun!}

The Easter Bunny arrives!
{This is Izzy's hat from her first Easter.}

Happy kiddos ready to dig in!

What's this?

And the famous frog face! :)

What a fun Easter we had this year! Isabelle was so excited and after she saw her full Easter basket she kept saying, "Thank you Easter Bunny! Thank you Easter Bunny!" She was so cute with helping Cooper with his basket too. As she pulled each thing out she would exclaim, "Coopie, look! New pacifiers for you!" "Coopie look! New bibs for you!" So sweet. Since the weather was nice the Easter Bunny decided to hide the eggs outside before Izzy woke up. Paul laughed because he thinks we had one of the earliest egg hunts in history. Hey, I was a little excited! ;0)

After breakfast we headed off to church with the whole fam {minus Trev and Becca... we missed you guys}. Then after a quick nap headed to Tim and Erin's for an early dinner and another egg hunt; this time with candy and money filled eggs {thanks Grandma and Grandpa!}. It was a great weekend spent with family remembering why we celebrate this day in the first place. He is risen!

Eight months old.

2011-04-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

This sweet boy is eight months old. That's only four months away from turning one. Is that really possible?!

Just as all the others, I am loving this stage! I like to call it the "shakin-and-a-movin" stage. :) He's not quite yet crawling, but he's finding innovative ways to get around. He rolls, inch-worms, and scoots more and more each day. He's as happy as can be and is loving the mobility. Don't let the innocent face fool you. As sweet as he is, I'm sure he'll be into EVERYTHING before we know it. He sure is a curious little man. Have I mentioned how sweet this boy is? Seriously, he is the calmest, happiest, most content little guy. His frequent drooly kisses, bouncy hugs, and excited squeals when I walk into the room just makes me melt! I seriously could not be any more in love with this little peanut!

Cooper's 8 month tid bits:

He's on his fifth set of double ear infections. Hoping this round of antibiotics clears them up and we're doing with these until next cold season.

Has seven teeth!

He is loving learning how to eat small pieces of food and loves Puffs.

Doesn't have a food he doesn't like (yet, anyways).

Loves to stand and is even trying to pull up on furniture (I'm not quite ready for this). :)

Is kept entertained by his big sis.

Loves to give kisses and hugs.

Favorite toy is anything he can chew and drool on.

A bath time first.

2011-04-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Isabelle has been begging for months to take a bath with her baby brother. Knowing that he was just too small, I continued to disappoint her with a "Not tonight, sweetie." This Sunday evening when it came time to hop in the tub, Izzy asked if she and Cooper could take a bath together. Now that he has perfected sitting I figured why not. She was so excited and he had a blast too.

Watching the tub fill up.

(Of course I had to snap a picture of that!)

So much fun!

Another first to check off our list. :)

Sweet {growing} girl.

2011-04-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, this last picture just kills me! I mean, seriously. She is looking way too much like a big girl these days.

Sweet {growing} boy.

2011-04-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

Is on the move and as cute as ever!

Weekends.

2011-04-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

We love the weekends! Most weeks we live for the weekends. No schedules or deadlines. No rushing out the door in the morning. Just simple days spent at home. Time together as a family. Spending all day in our pajamas if we choose. Books, movies, dress up, mess making, mess cleaning, cooking, baking, dancing, playing, walks, cuddles, laughs, naps, and fun. Oh how we love the weekends!

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-04-06T13:48:00.001-07:00

(Okay, a few words to go along with the photo... It was 66 degrees when we got home last Friday evening. The kids and I had to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. Good thing we did because it's been raining/hailing/flurrying here ever since!) Happy Hump Day and bring on the sun! :)

A trip up north...

2011-03-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

We headed up north to Papa and Gigi's a couple weekends ago and boy did we have fun! Deer Park still has that home feel for me. Every time we pull off the highway into town, I just instantly get that warm fuzzy feeling. Staying with Papa and Gigi is always a treat. They spoil us with delicious food and lots of love.

Isabelle was so excited that Brock and Avery were coming over on Friday. As soon as we woke up (at 6:00 a.m.) she asked if they were there yet. Of course they picked up right where they left off...

So happy to be together again!

Coop looks a little unsure. :)

Avery is 2 and a half; Cooper is seven months...

She's tiny and he's huge! Peek-a-boo!

Izzy and Avery almost made it without getting into trouble. The last time these two were together they were caught spraying each other with Febreze. The next time we turned around they had spilled some vanilla oil from a reed diffuser. Well, this time they did find the Febreze again, but we stopped them in their tracks. A while later Brock comes in to tell us they were in the dryer! I open the door to find these little faces... Oops! We've been caught!

Of course Brock had to hop in for a picture op.

(Why do I photograph these things? They then think it's hilarious)

I just LOVE Ave's face in this one.

Brock's in wrestling now so of course had to show off his new moves. Izzy was absolutely loving it!

Izzy off to the side just cracks me up in this one!

They just makes me smile!

Izzy... er, Daddy

2011-03-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, while folding some laundry, Isabelle decided she wanted to wear one of Paul's sweatshirts. The rest of the evening she was "Daddy" and Paul was "Izzy". They played this until she went to bed. She thought it was so funny! This morning when she woke up she shouted to Paul, "Don't worry Izzy, Daddio is coming to get you!"

Her imagination is hilarious these days and we are loving it!

7 Months

2011-03-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Look who is seven months old and as cute as ever!

And as happy and drooly as ever... check out his undershirt!

And how about those teeth?! Four to be exact with more on the way.

This picture just cracks me up! Silly boy!

And how sweet is this? They love each other to pieces!

2011-03-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

From two of the cutest little kiddos around! :)

*Isabelle picked out her own outfit this morning. She insisted that her shirt had to have green on it too. So stinkin' cute!

Just words.

2011-03-14T13:58:00.001-07:00

No new pictures. Just words today. I've been neglecting the blog again and as I'm sure none of you mind nearly as much as I do, I thought I should at least stop in real quick to let you know we are alive and doing well. We're enjoying life and trying to soak it up as much as we can as it quickly whips us around, twirling us from one thing to the next. We are busy, but we are happy. And that's all that matters, really. These two sweet kids of ours have us smiling and laughing none stop and we constantly ask each other, "How did we get such amazing little kiddos?" =)

Cooper is sitting, leaning, twisting, and reaching for things. He's a little crocodile on the changing table these days -- rolling none stop! I'm afraid he is going to be a real mover and soon! It seems like each day he gets more and more curious and mobile. He thinks he's pretty big standing up while holding our hands and has the sweetest laugh and smile that is to die for! Isabelle is just hilarious and comes up with the funniest things lately. I've been writing down her laughable quotes that I'll have to share soon. I want to remember these days (craziness and all) as much as I can. Everyone always says it, but it's so, so true -- They grow way too fast!

So here's to drinking up these moments, enjoying the small things, and living life to the fullest! Happy Monday, my friends!

Half Year Birthday!!!

2011-03-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

Seriously? My boy is half a year old? Already? How can this be?

Cooper celebrated his sixth month birthday on February 22nd and today had his 6 month well-baby checkup.

His stats:
17 lbs. even (50th percentile)
26.5 inches long (55th percentile)
Healthy as can be!

His latest happenings:

He can now sit unassisted.
Has three teeth with number four just on the verge of poking through.
Just as of this past weekend is back to sleeping through the night… those teeth were giving us all a heck of time for a couple weeks there!
Eats rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocados, bananas, and peas. (His favorites are sweet potatoes and bananas. His least favorite is the avocado.)
Loves his JumperRoo and books!
Absolutely adores his big sis!
We have started sign language. We are currently working on more, all done, milk, and eat. Isabelle loves to help with teaching. She grabs Coop’s hands and shows him how to do the signs. He looks at her like she’s crazy. :) Hopefully he’ll pick up the signs as quickly as Iz did. It’s so nice to be able to begin to close the communication gap at such a young age. We shall see!
Is developing into quite the little "talker" although nothing like his sister at this age. He's perfected the "ma", "da", and "ga" sounds.
Smiles and laughs all the time. Such a happy boy!

Other than that, Cooper is still just such a joy! He is one happy and easy baby. I am so in love! Cherishing every moment as he’ll be one before we know it!

Looking up at his sis. :)

Check out those pearly whites!

{Less} Words Wednesday!

2011-02-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

I just realized my last post was a Wordless Wednesday. That either means I have nothing real exciting to post about or I've been swamped as of late and behind on updating the good ole bloggy. Actually, I think it's a combination of both -- I'm swamped as of late which has me running around like a chicken with its head cut off (!), which has resulted in nothing really exciting to post about (Besides how absolutely adorable our kiddos are, but you all know that already, right?!).

Have I mentioned lately how absolutely smitten I am by this little man? Sitting is his newly found trick. It's only a matter of time and he'll be off on all fours! Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-02-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Date with Daddy and Mommy

2011-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Isabelle came with us to the last Coug game. Cooper stayed home with Tim and Erin since the games are well past his bedtime. Izzy loved her night out alone with us. Although, she did keep asking where Coopie was and on our way to the coliseum she said, "Oh no! We for-lost Coop!"
No sweetie, we did not forget or loose Cooper. :)

Being goofy!

Cheese!

It was great to be able to give her our 100 percent attention for the evening. I think we'll have to make it a regular occurrence to take each kiddo out on little dates often.

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Toesies.... Once again!

2011-02-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

Remember this? When Cooper started sucking on his little toes a couple weeks ago I couldn't resist recreating the changing table photo shoot that I took with Isabelle almost exactly two years ago. Cooper loves his toes too and as soon as he's on his changing table and unclothed, the first thing he does is flip his chubby little legs up to reach his toes to his mouth. =)

2011-02-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

"Hi, my name is Mr. Drooler MaGoo. I love to blow bubbles that collect on my chin and then drip down soaking multiple bibs a day!" "After drooling and chewing on things for the past couple of months my first tooth finally poked through! Can you see my little pearly white there on my bottom right side?"

(Click on the picture to make it larger.):)

Cooper's first tooth popped through last Thursday, January 27th.

(I wanted to show off his new tooth, but more than anything, I'm using this for my notes when the time comes that I actually get around to doing Cooper's baby book... uh, and Izzy's too for that matter! I know, pathetic!)

5 Months Old

2011-01-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

Cooper is now five months old. Each month just seems to be going by faster and faster. We (and by we I also mean a very eager big sis) gave him his first taste of rice cereal on Saturday morning. He seemed to enjoy it and now the fun will begin as we are able to introduce new foods.

The first bite.

Mmmmm!

Leaning in for more.

A few more tid bits about Cooper this month:

He started rolling over and has really perfected this newly found skill.
Is a great sleeper -- goes down for the night at 6:30, wakes up to eat around 5:00, and then sleeps a bit longer before it's time to get ready for school.
Is not much of a napper these days. He likes short little cat naps which makes it hard for momma to get much done!
He's still a drooling machine and loves to do raspberries creating bubbles all over his chin, but still no teeth.
Was able to get over his ear infection just in time to get another bad cough. :(
Is still a spitting image of his daddy.
He recognizes his name.
Loves to play with his toes.
Is falling more and more in love with his big sis every day. Whenever he hears her voice he looks all around trying to find her and gets the biggest grin on his face when he does.
He is still his mama's cuddle bug and I'm just hoping that never changes!

2011-01-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

"Yeah. So I like blueberry waffles..."

Rockin' and a Rollin'

2011-01-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

Cooper rolled over a couple time while on our bed right before he turned four months old, but I didn't think much of it. Two weekends ago I put him on the floor to sprawl out a bit and instantly he flipped over onto his stomach. Then he rolled right back over onto his back. He did it over and over and ever since has been a rolling machine! I forget how fast these little guys can accomplish major milestones. Before we know it he'll be walking. By the way, how cute is that gummy smile?! :)

The view from here...

2011-01-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

This is one of my most favorite little faces to look at ever! As each day goes on I think he just gets sweeter and sweeter. Last night I couldn’t help snapping a picture on my phone of my little back-bending cutie pie peeking up at me while lounging on my lap. Seriously?! Could he get any cuter?

And then here he is just less than four months ago. It's amazing the difference just four short months will make. I cannot believe how much he’s changing right before our eyes. Look at that little peanut all snug as a bug in a ~~rug~~ sling. I was so happy when I stumbled across this picture in my phone; it really captures his tininess and really makes my heart melt.

Love. Pure, love.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a bit behind on posting this. I know... *Big sigh*

I feel like I'm a bit behind on everything these days, quite honestly. The house is slowly coming back together though, but still has all Christmas decorations up, unwrapped gifts scattered about, a half full suit case sitting in Cooper's room (which was just recently moved from the hallway), and at least three loads of clean laundry that needs folding. My desk at work adds a whole other aspect, but I won't even go there. I'm sure you get the picture. Why is it that traveling with two little ones takes so much out of you?! I promise I'm not complaining because, let me tell you, we had an amazing Christmas and enjoyed every minute of our time spent away! I wish it could have lasted longer, but here we are, back to reality.

BUT... it's a new year! We plan to stay home for a while and I have high hopes of getting our lives back on track, the house in order, reintroduce home cooked meals, and caught up at work too (one can dream, right?). :)

Okay, on with the good stuff!

Our little Christmas love bugs!

Izzy performing all her Christmas songs. That face just makes my heart smile!

Christmas cookie decorating is serious business, you know.

Eating the final product is so much more fun though!

Fun in the snow!

Matching pj's on Christmas Eve! So fun to wake up on Christmas morning together.

*This year I was horrible about taking pictures during all our Christmas festivities. I forgot my camera when we went over to Paul's parents' and then at my parents' didn't take it out once. Luckily, my mom had her new camera and did snap all of these pictures for me. Thanks, Momma!

Where's Cooper?

2010-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you see his tiny little head poking out from under all of Izzy's "babies"? One afternoon while I was making lunch Isabelle and Cooper were quite content in the living room. Izzy explained to me from the other room that she was sharing her babies with Coop. A few minutes later I came out of the kitchen to this... "HELP!"

Oh the joys of being a little brother to a big sister. It won't be long and she'll be dressing him up in her princess outfits complete with makeup and hair bows (not that I did anything like that to my little brother.)

;0)

Month #4

2010-12-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

Can I first just say, what a wonderful holiday season it has been this year?! We had two wonderful extra-long weekends spent first at Paul's parents' and then at mine celebrating Christmas. We were spoiled beyond belief and loved soaking in all the time with our families. Hence the lack of posts with much substance lately, but we wouldn't want it any other way! I'm sure all (four) of those who read our blog understand, right? Right. ;)

Cooper is four-months-old as of December 22nd. Nope, I can't believe it either! His little personality sure is developing and boy is he adorable! We've been blessed with another extremely easy-going and happy little baby. This month he's started giggling, which is seriously one of my most favorite things to hear ever! A video will definitely have to be posted in the next few days. He's drooling like crazy so I think a tooth will appear real soon; he is working really hard to roll over from his back to stomach; he received his first buzz cut a few weeks ago (yes, at three months old!); and after a short "sleep regression" he's back on track as far as sleeping goes. I purchased a swaddle blanket last week and it has been a godsend! Coop loves to be swaddled and was waking up multiple times a night to be re-swaddled. Now that he can't get out of his new blanket, he sleeps all night with only one feeding usually around 1 or 2 a.m. We moved him into his crib last week and after one night of 30 minutes of crying, we can now lay him down and he's out with minimal to no crying. GLORIOUS! Isabelle was not (and still sometimes is not) the best sleeper. So I've been trying to work hard at not giving in. I'm a softy when it comes to hearing my babes cry and always just caved and let Izzy come into our bed. This time around I've decided it's not what is best for us... now if only we had a king sized bed. ;)

But I digress.

All in all, Cooper is doing amazing. He's still growing at a way too rapid pace. His four-month well child checkup is tomorrow. I'm excited to see how much he's grown in the past two months. His skin has been our only challenge thus far. The poor little guy has extremely sensitive and dry skin (thanks to both his momma and daddy's genes). We're hoping to get some answers on that tomorrow. For now, here's a few pictures our little sweetie in all his buzzed-head glory. I just can't get enough of this little man!

More than half his sister's size already!

UPDATE: We had Cooper's four month appointment today. He's 15 lbs. 11 oz. (70th percentile) and 26 & 1/2 inches long (90th percentile)... I told you he's a BIG boy! The doctor finally diagnosed Cooper's irritated skin as Eczema (I've been telling them that for months now, but it finally got bad enough I guess.) so he is now on a steroid cream for a couple weeks. We also found out he has a slight ear infection so he'll be taking the yummy pink stuff (aka: antibiotics) for the next ten days. Poor little man! Three shots later and he's a fussy little boy tonight, but one can't blame him. Here's to praying he sleeps soundly tonight. Last night he slept a solid 11 hours straight!

Elf Yourself 2010!

2010-12-17T02:21:00.000-08:00

Whip Cream Anyone?!

2010-12-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Two years ago at Thanksgiving Aunt Beck gave Isabelle her first taste of Cool Whip... she was THREE MONTHS OLD! Being a new momma and all, I was a bit shocked. "She's only had breast milk, Rebecca! What if she gets an upset stomach?!" :)

Well, fast forward two years to Thanksgiving 2010...

Aunt Beck strikes again. This time it wasn't with three-month-old Cooper, but again with miss sweet-tooth herself! Spray whipping cream on the lid of a Cool Whip container. She was in heaven and had multiple refills. But momma had to finally put a stop to the sugar intake and someone was not happy about it! :)

Priceless!!

Santa Butch

2010-12-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

This is for Izzy. :)

We had Santa Butch visit our holiday party at work last night. She would have been so bummed if she knew she missed out on seeing Butch. She just loves him! Well, until he comes up to give her a high five at the basketball games that is. She talks about Butch all week long and watches him the entire game, but if he comes up to her she get all nervous and starts to tear up. Last game she did pet his hand and blew him a kiss while doing this cute little whimper while trying to hold back her tears in Paul's arms . Everyone around us was "oohing and awing" at how cute she was. I'm hoping that if she sees the picture of me with Santa Butch it will take her fears away this year when we go to visit him and Santa in a week or two. Remember last year?

Poor thing! I must admit, he is a little scary looking with those big teeth and eyes.

SNOW FUN!

2010-12-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-11-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2010-11-23T20:07:00.001-08:00

With Isabelle's help, I was able to convince Paul that we should put up the Christmas decorations last weekend. We typically wait until the weekend following Thanksgiving, but for some reason this year I've been ready since November 1st. So we trimmed the tree, hung the stockings, set out the Santas and snowmen while listening to Christmas music. Isabelle had a blast this year and was quite the pro at hanging ornaments.

Hi there, Santa!

Most of my pictures turned out blurry, like this one. The girl was all over the place, making it very difficult to get good quality pictures. :)

Such concentration! (Please notice the grass and trees outside. Only a few hours later and we were buried in snow. A foot and a half later and high winds and Pullman is now a winter wonderland!)

She just loved the fact that the tree has a skirt too!

And of course she needed to try it on.

They both needed dresses, you know!

Cooper slept the entire time. :)

After decorating inside the house, Paul decided to hang the lights on the outside. Later that evening I caught him humming, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas... I knew we'd get him in the Christmas spirit! Mission accomplished! ;)

3

2010-11-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

... months old that is!

Our little man is three months old today. Can you believe it? As always, I sure can't! Over this past month things have just gotten better and better. Life feels normal now. I'm back to work, we're into a new routine, Paul and I have our specific roles down, the kids are doing great at school, and it feels as if Cooper has been in our family forever. Isabelle is back to her normal self as well and seems to be completely adjusted to life as no longer an only child. We had a couple weeks where she was acting out more than usual and just more whiny in general, which is to be expected, but now she has taken on the role of big sis and wears it proudly. She loves to show her baby brother off and is my little helper. I love to see their bond already developing and can't wait to watch it grow over the years. So all in all, things are good... nah, things are wonderful!

This month Cooper is:

sleeping 6-8 hour stretches a few nights a week (sometimes more), but still has some nights where he thinks he needs to eat every 3-4 hours, but I'll take it! Those longer stretches of sleep are just glorious.
smiling all the time now. He seems to smile way more than Isabelle did at this age and is just happy about 99% of the time. He's even getting close to giggling... can't wait for those little belly laughs!
really laid back and an overall amazing baby. He rarely gets fussy and when he does he's either hungry, sleepy, or needs changed.
a drooling machine as of late! If he's like his sister, his teeth are probably getting ready to start poking through in the next month or two so the last bullet may not hold true for too long.
a favorite at his daycare. This is not just mama saying that either; his teachers say he is a breath of fresh air since the two other little girls are quite the handful.
wearing 3-6 month clothes and it won't be long before he's in 6-9 month outfits. He's huge!
his mama's boy and I absolutely love it! We'll see how long it last, but I'm going to take it while I can.

*Gasp! Two posts in a row without pictures... what has gotten into me? Let's just say I've been a little busy lately and haven't downloaded my pictures from my camera to my computer for a while. I'll be sure to have some new ones after Thanksgiving (if not sooner). :)

Love

2010-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cooper now holds onto my hair while he nurses and sometimes while he's falling asleep... love!
His little grunts and lip smacks while he sleeps... love!
Isabelle's sweet innocence... love!
The way she constantly wants to kiss and dote on her baby brother... love!
The smell of freshly bathed little ones... love!
Group hugs from Izzy... love!
Kisses from my babies... love!
Cooper's big smiles and almost giggles... love!
Isabelle's expanding vocabulary and use of new words... love!
Her new found love for princess and dress up... love!
The way Cooper just lights up when he sees his sis... love!
While in the other room, hearing Izzy talking to Cooper like I do... love!
Being a mama to two (in my humble opinion) of the most perfect and absolutely beautiful children... love, love, LOVE!!!
Don't worry, I didn't forget about Paul... I also love him more than words and the way he loves our babies too! :)

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-11-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Our Happy Boy...

2010-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Can

get

any

cuter?!

Well, maybe in the next round of pictures, but in the mean time we are just loving this stage! He's smiling and cooing all the time and is starting to look more and more like a little boy. Time is just flying by! He'll be running around in no time so excuse me while I go kiss on his sweet face some more! :)

Go Cougs!!!

2010-11-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

Saturday we attended the first WSU basketball game of the year. We have season tickets this year and love our seats! The Cougs look great so this should be a really fun season! The kiddos seemed to really enjoy it too.

Let me tell you a little about the picture above...

Isabelle was very excited for the game and the weeks leading up to it all she could talk about was seeing Butch the Cougar (WSU's mascot). The last few times she's seen him she's cried. We arrived to the game early and she instantly spotted Butch across the coliseum. She watched him work his way around to our section as he was dancing and greeting other fans, and then he was out of sight for a bit. A few minutes later, there he was right by us! Her eyes started to well up and her lip puckered (he is a pretty big cougar up close so you can't blame her). Paul picked her up and I gave him a pet to reassure her. In the end she didn't cry and did let me snap a quick pick with him, but she was still pretty unsure. After he left she said, "I was just a little nervous, but next time I'll say hi and give Butch a high-five." What a little cutie! I'm sure by the end of the season she'll be hugging and kissing on him.

Coop hung out in the front pack for half the game, slept for a bit, and then looked around at all the people and lights.

Our little Coug fans ready for the game!

And here they are with the game faces on... so serious! :)

And here's the little cutie all excited to see Butch!

Go Cougs!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2010-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Well, we're a little late on this post, but we did have a Happy Halloween. Hope you all did as well! On Friday the kids and I headed into Paul's office to do a little trick-or-treating, stopped by my office and then went into Isabelle's class for a party. Saturday evening we went to a pumpkin carving party at our friends' house and Sunday decorated a haunted ginger bread house with Dillon and then headed out trick-or-treating at a few of our friends houses. It was a fun-filled few days, but by the end both kids were exhausted. We tried to get home fairly early Sunday evening since I started work the next day. The week back to work went really well, by the way. I miss being home with the kiddos, but it really is nice to be back and it helps that everyone is so glad to have me back. And now, the pictures. Enjoy!

All the pumpkins (Paul's is the cat).
This one was my favorite. Done by our friend, Adam.

And if you'd like to see more pictures from our Halloween, visit this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2286143&id=25903893&l=d9b98191aa

2010-11-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

If you didn't already know, Izzy loves Cooper (or DD as she sometimes calls him). And he loves her. I can't wait to see their relationship develop over the years.

She'll always be his big sis... even if one day he doubles her size.

**I'm finally getting around to completing some posts I started weeks ago. So you'll see some with pictures from quite awhile ago, like this one. This was in September. **

Cry Baby

2010-10-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Cooper was crying and I couldn't help but to think how cute he is... even when he's crying. I always post cute pictures of the kids when they are happy, clean, in their cute little outfits, etc. But reality is, that our lives are not "picture perfect" (or at least not all the time *wink*). We all have our melt downs and why not post about that too? (Well, for starters I don't think Cooper appreciated me snapping pictures of him while he was crying, but that's besides the point right? Right.) Don't worry, I won't be posting pictures of myself in a hot-mess because, well, that just wouldn't be one bit cute. ;) And for the record, the camera just happened to be sitting next to me so he was only crying for a couple extra seconds while I snapped these two pictures. I know, poor Coop, but isn't he adorable... even when he's crying?!

Strike a pose.

2010-10-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Strike

pose.

2 Months Old

2010-10-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Cooper was two months old on the 22nd and had his checkup this morning. I knew he's been growing like a weed, but was still shocked to learn he is 13 lbs. 6 oz.! That's almost a whopping six pounds gained in two months! He's in the 90th percentile for weight, 60th for height (24 inches), and 50th for head size. Yep, our little boy is growing way too fast already.

Coop loves his big sis! He smiles and "talks" to her all the time. And she's pretty smitten with him too!
He is getting really strong. He can hold his head up on his own now (although his chubby cheeks pulls his head down sometimes... it's a lot of work holding those cheeks up, ya know!). :)
He lifts his head during tummy time.
He loves to be outside. If he's fussy you can walk outside and he's content as can be.
We're getting more and more sleep lately. So far the record is a 5 and 1/2 hour stretch the other night.
His skin is clearing up already.
Cooper loves to give kisses! Absolutely the cutest thing ever! I just love baby open mouth kisses!
He also loves getting his diapers changed and just stares at and talks to the Future Cougar sign on his wall.
And he's still my little cuddle bug and I love it!

Here are some pictures from the past few days...

Lift head...

Smile a cute little smirk...

Rest...

And repeat. :)

Remember this picture of Isabelle? Do you think they look a like?

When he's laying on my chest, he loves to arch his head back to look up at me.

And to go in for kisses, which I have to say are my absolute favorite!

AWWW! :)

I *almost* captured a smile... I'll keep trying and will be sure to share when I do.

And here's a little clip of our little talker/growler. :)

Playtime!

2010-10-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Cooper is really beginning to enjoy "playing" with his toys these days.

He stares at them. And even reaches for them at times.

And when he's lucky to grab one he'll hold onto for a bit.

And then it's time for a nap.

Because playtime for a little guy is hard work you know!

Daddy's Little Helper

2010-10-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

Sickies

2010-10-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Isabelle has had a cold for almost a month now. Last week she was finally starting to get over it, but Friday evening began coughing again. By Saturday her cough was HORRIBLE! I waited it out one more day and then took her in to get checked this morning, (Whooping Cough is going around and that is the last thing we need in our household!) Thankfully, the culprit is just a virus and she should be feeling better in a few days. She is wheezing so we have to keep an eye on her breathing and future colds, but for now the doctor just thinks she's (in his words) a "happy wheezer". Meaning she doesn't have asthma and the wheezing is just part of the virus. Her cough sounds awful and is worse at night, but we are relieved to know it's just another cold that should pass soon.

The office was extremely full this morning so instead of putting us one of the rooms to wait she was given a mask to wear. She was not thrilled despite my attempts of making the mask seem really special and neat, but she was a trooper and looked pretty darn cute to boot! =)

2010 Hunting Season

2010-10-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today was opening day for rifle deer hunting. I make that distinction because it has been hunting season for Paul for over a month now (bow, mussel loader, and now rifle). :)

This morning he was up bright and early at 4:45 and by 7:00 had his buck. While he was out in the field getting ready to bring the deer home we got dressed in our finest outfits... camo gear that is! Paul had the camera with him so I snapped a few pictures of our camo cuties with my phone.

Excitedly waiting for daddy to get home with his buck!

"I know I'm cute!"

Someone was excited for opening day too!
(Side note: Cooper is smiling all the time now! He gives these big open mouth grins that just melt your heart, I tell ya!)

And here's this year's buck.

While Paul was home loading the four-wheeler, Tim was sitting by Paul's deer waiting when a coyote came running up. He was going to shoot it, but it ran into the brush. Right then this buck stopped just 40 yards away.

A little unsure, but being brave.

Best buddies!

2010-10-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

I snapped this picture on my cell phone a few days ago and it sums up my past week perfectly.

This little boy has been glued to my chest all snuggly and warm for most of this past week. His cold is still hanging on and sleeping has been difficult for him... unless he's sleeping on my chest that is. Am I tired? Yes! Is my back sore from sleeping sitting up for multiple nights in a row? You betcha! But is it worth it? Absolutely and I am loving every minute of it! I know it won't be long before this little guy is running around and too busy for snuggles with his momma. So I'm just soaking it all in and ignoring all that I'm not getting done around the house. Plus, I've mastered doing most tasks one handed... applying makeup, making dinner, taking a two-year-old potty... you get the idea! :)

I hope this stuffy nose and cough will be gone soon because I hate to see my little man not feeling well, but in the meantime you can find him snuggled into the crook of my neck just melting into my arms. Ahhh, it doesn't get much better than this!

Six Weeks and Growing Cheeks!

2010-10-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Is that a TRIPLE chin?! :)

Big yawn!

Birthday Recap

2010-10-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

This year's birthday was absolutely perfect. The weather was beautiful, I got to spend the entire day with my two favorite littles, and then a nice quiet dinner out with Paul. This was our first time out on a date since Cooper's arrival. It was so nice to be able to sit down and visit over some delicious food without interruptions. Thanks for the wonderful night out babe!

Our day started with some cuddle time in our bed. Isabelle's gift to me was her sleeping in until 8:00... hallelujah! Lately she's been up by no later than 6:30 which means once Paul is out the door to work I have to get up (yes, I've been spoiled... it won't be long and I'll be up at 5:15 again to get ready for work each day). Then we just hung out and got ready to enjoy the beautiful weather for the day. I decided since it was my birthday I wasn't going to worry about doing any chores around the house so off to the park we went!

This beautiful park is Sunnyside Park. It is located right behind Isabelle's daycare. Her class takes walks over to this park on a regular basis so she loves trips to the park. It has ponds with ducks, fish, and turtles, a playground, a great walking trail, and some llamas and pot belly pigs at a bordering field. So when we decided to go have a picnic this was the park of choice.

We found a comfy spot right next to the duck pond and of course someone was much more interested in watching the ducks than eating her lunch.

Finally came over to check out what mommy had packed for the picnic.

Of course she goes for the animal crackers first.

Enjoying some PB&J and duck watching.

Looking for turtles.

Hello {creepy} sheep and Mr. llama.

Trying to get a decent picture of this wild woman was not happening!

Not a cloud in the sky!

Weee!!!

After a couple hours at the park we stopped for ice cream on our way home... my idea of a perfect day!

SO YUMMY!

Twenty six.

2010-09-28T02:05:00.000-07:00

Another year has passed and honestly, it seems that it went faster than any other year in the past. They do say, 'time starts to slip away faster the older you get' and 'time flies when you’re having fun'. I choose to believe this past year was due to the later because fun we definitely had!

Now a momma to two and a three year anniversary celebrated, I couldn't ask for more. I am extremely content where I'm at in my life right now. I couldn't be happier! And maybe that's why passing the 25 mark isn't all that bad. I'm looking forward to what the next chapter of years will hold! So here's to turning 26!

One year older and oh so blessed!

Cooper's Coug Room

2010-09-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

So there's a little peek into Coop's bedroom. Gotta love the Coug décor! =)

One Month Old

2010-09-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

(Look at those chubby cheeks!)

Today is the last day of summer and marks one month that we have had Cooper in our lives. It's hard to believe it has been a month already! Although, at the same time, it feels like this little peanut has been a part of our family forever. I am so in love with him! I've been focusing on savoring every moment while he's still tiny... the late night feedings, holding him during the day even when I know there's laundry to fold and dishes to wash, and even changing his little toosh. I know it won't be long and he'll be running around like his big sis with little time for cuddling. I'm soaking up every minute and absolutely loving it!

Cooper now fills out his newborn clothes and is starting to fit into some 0-3 month outfits.
He is holding his head up on his own more and more.
Now enjoys baths and getting his diaper changed (for the first couple of weeks he hated being naked).
Had his first bottle from daddy two nights ago and took it like a pro.
He is starting to track toys, has cracked a couple smiles and said a couple coo's.
Caught his first cold from his sister when he was three weeks old... poor little guy!
Loves to cuddle!
Took his first road trip up to Diamond Lake and experienced his first family gathering for my papa's 70th birthday party in Deer Park (he slept the whole time).
Has baby acne now so his cheeks are very red and bumpy (we're hoping it isn't the start of eczema).
He is still waking ever two to three hours at night to eat.
And is completely loved and doted on by his family!

He's growing so fast. Changing every day. Chubby cheeks. Little rolls. Cute toes.

First bottle... practicing for daycare.

Of course, big sis had to help!

First night sick just lounging on the couch... poor little boy!

Enjoying some z's in his swing.

Loves his changing table. Look at those rolls forming!!

Shy Girl?

2010-09-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Isabelle likes to pretend to be shy around Papa -- it's her silly little game she plays with him. The other day when I asked if I could take some pictures of her to send to Papa and Gigi (since she was wearing a cute little outfit they gave her), this is the response I received...

I say, silly girl rather than shy girl! :)

BURRITIO!!

2010-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Isabelle loves to help with wrapping Coop up into a little burrito... or as she calls it, a BURRITIO!!! :)

Cousins

2010-09-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

~Cooper, Isabelle, Dane, and Dillon~

-----

And the following pictures are a few of the other pictures in our attempt at getting all looking and smiling at the camera.

2010-09-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

Does it get much cuter than this shirtless little girl wearing darling jeans with loose curls in her hair?

I didn't think so either! :)

Happy Friday, friends!!

First Photo Shoot

2010-09-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my good friend and extremely talented photographer, Courtney, made the long drive down to Pullman from Deer Park for Cooper's first photo shoot. I cannot wait to see all the pictures she snapped because the preview alone was enough to melt my heart. Cooper was extremely calm and wide awake during most of the session (what can I say, he's a natural). Courtney did a great job of capturing his sweet and innocent spirit. We'll cherish these pictures for many many years to come. Thanks again, Courtney! Enjoy a little sneak peak of our two week old cutie's first photo shoot! :)