The Burks Family

Christmas Eve

2010-01-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

This year, I felt like our time together at Christmas was sooo relaxed, and that we were truly able to slow down and enjoy every single moment, which I am very grateful for! Christmas Eve morning we met Jared's family for our Christmas Eve breakfast at IHOP~it was wonderful and such good time with family, plus one less meal for me to cook! After breakfast, we came home and decorated our gingerbread house, took a nap, and then attended the Christmas Eve service at our church~something we had never done before but, after doing, I feel certain we will never miss it again. It was so wonderful to go and honestly worship God and be reminded of the meaning of Christmas. The pastor called the children up to read a kid-friendly version of the Christmas story and as he was reading, pictures were being shown on the screen and precious little Cooper was sitting in my lap pointing and identifying Joseph, Mary, the angels, and Baby Jesus. I could not help but hold him close, be so thankful for him, and cry! I even think he was a little disappointed that we didn't "see" baby Jesus...he kept asking where he was! After the service at church, we rode around and looked at some Christmas lights and decorations, again just talking and being together as a family. When we came home, we changed into our Christmas pajamas and baked our cookies for Santa! It was a wonderful day, and I cherish those memories so dearly. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the night...Cooper and I in front of the tree after church and the cookie baking process!

helping Mommy bake

helping Daddy...can you see the flour on his little face? He was covered in flour!

all by himself!

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Gingerbread House aka MESSY FUN!

2010-01-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

I realize that I'm very behind on blogging, but I did get a new high-tech camera for Christmas and have been afraid to upload the pictures for fear that they would disappear and I'd have NO idea how to retrieve them! So I am still blogging about December and Christmas festivities...but it's important to me to have these memories captured so better late than never! Here are some of the pictures we took while making a gingerbread house! This was a first for all of us! I can't believe neither Jared nor I had ever made one...and surely there MUST be a better way! Don't they make pre-assembled ones?? I mean we could barely get the thing to stay together long enough to decorate it~but we had SO MUCH FUN doing this together!

Cooper waited oh so patiently while daddy tried to assemblethe gingerbread house!

Cooper placed the gumballs all along the roof...a job he took very seriously! He was so proud!

The (somewhat) finished product! Can you tell that I'm having to hold it together just so we can take a picture! Geez~who knew a gingerbread house was so difficult!

Immediately following the picture~our roof caved in, so we just put it on a plate for Cooper to enjoy!! I LOVE that we captured this precious face!

Cooper (the finished product)...we went straight to the bathtub! And he went to the Christmas Eve service at church that night with pink hands!

All Aboard...The Polar Express!!

2010-01-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

On December 11th, we got to ride on the Polar Express~remember from the last post Daddy of the Year got us tickets when they were sold out!! So, we bundled up~Cooper wore 2 pairs of pajamas and off we went! It was FANTASTIC! On the way to the North Pole a man read the story (and Jared had even bought the book for Cooper before we boarded). After the reading of the story, this same man led the entire train in singing Christmas carols while he played the guitar! That was the BEST~even Cooper joined in on the singing! When we arrived at the North Pole, it was beautifully lit up and decorated AND Santa and Mrs. Claus were standing out there waving at us! They then boarded the train for pictures and visits! On the way home from the North Pole, we sang more Christmas carols and were served with cookies and chocolate milk! And, they even gave us our own little jingle bell~which we shook ALL the back to the station (along with every other child on the train!!) We were having sooo much fun~I don't think anyone minded all the noise and chaos! We were also given a nice little ball ornament with a train on it, and since I love to buy each of us an ornament every year~this was a special little gift! I wrote the date on it when we got home and hung it on our tree! I can't wait to pull out that ornament for years to come and remember the wonderful memories that we made riding the Polar Express!

The Santa Special

2010-01-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

December was VERY busy for us! But...I do want to remember it all, so I'm attempting to catch up! The first weekend in December we took Cooper to Calera for a ride on the "Santa Special". We originally wanted tickets for The Polar Expressbut they were sold out~I cried, felt like I was depriving Cooper of something very fun and special EVEN THOUGH he had no idea The Polar Express even existed!! Anyway, as we were waiting for Jared to bring our tickets, I overheard him talking to the ticket lady about "next Friday night"~Daddy of the Year had sweet-talked us some tickets on The Polar Express (another blog, another day...I promise). Back to the Santa Special~it's a train ride during the day where Santa gets on the train, sits with you for a very long time, your little one gets to sit on his lap (if he's willing), and Santa even gives you a present from his BIG bag!!! We weren't sure how Coop would do since last year he screamed like Santa was going to take him from us~however~ because he was distracted by the train ride he did very well! He LOVED riding the train, as usual! We were one of 3 families on the train, so the conductors sat and talked to us and then Santa came! Cooper called him "Ho-Ho"! It was soooo cute. Cooper sat and talked to Santa and loved the little snowman beanie baby that Santa gave him! After talking with him, snapping a few pictures, and getting his present, Cooper was ready for Santa to move on because he was a distraction from the ride! It really is neat and intriguing to me how Cooper is sooo into trains. We have taken many rides on the Calera trains, and LOVE it more and more each time! We will definitely ride the Santa Special again!

Thanksgiving in Tennessee

2009-12-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

This year in Tennessee, we only ate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, dad, sister, and her husband. I think this is the first year that we haven't eaten with my Granny and Pop, but my Pop is literally fighting to live each day, and my sweet Granny is exhausted from loving, supporting, and caring for him. So this year we just visited with them, played with Cooper, and enjoyed time that we have together right now. Cooper taught Granny how to "jump high" from the porch, we played the drums A LOT, smashed towers that PawPaw built with the blocks, and played with Sissy's puppies Ruby and Aubie (although Ruby is too old to do much playing). It was so nice just to take a few days and enjoy talking to and seeing the family that I love so dearly and miss so terribly.

Thanksgiving with the Burks

2009-12-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

This year, EVERYONE from Jared's dad's side of the family made it to celebrate Thanksgiving. This had never happened before, so there were people there that I had never even met. We had Thanksgiving at the church where Jared and I were married in the fellowship hall. The boys had a great time playing basketball...we had a great time trying to keep Cooper out of the middle of the 3 games that were going on at all times! It was really a blessing to be with all of Jared's family...it really gave perspective to what Thanksgiving is all about. Cooper also had a great time playing with little Denver who is only 4 months older than him. Glad they like each other since they're supposed to walk the aisle together at Aunt M's wedding...we'll see about that!

Disney on Ice

2009-12-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

The first weekend in November was Jared's birthday so he went to the hunting club with his dad. I knew that Disney on Ice was in town...but I was not so sure I was brave enough to take a 2 year old by myself! I could not stand the thoughts of not taking him...so we went, AND I"M SO GLAD WE DID!! We had the BEST time on our little date! Cooper's favorite was the sharks from Nemo, my favorite was the It's a Small World presentation, just because it was incredible and sooo pretty! I, as an adult, sat there amazed! Cooper was not impressed with the Princesses AT ALL...but he watched them skate and did like it when they "turned a flip"! We ate popcorn, drank Sprite, and even had our picture taken together at one of those outrageously expensive photo opportunities! I didn't care~Cooper was smiling so big, and it's one of the best pictures I have of the 2 of us(maybe if I'm ever blogging when he's awake I;ll scan it so you all can see it, but for now...never wake a sleeping baby!)

ALL BOY!!

2009-12-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

The other night as I was putting away clothes, I came back into the living room to this scene!! Cooper was so proud...he said, "Watch me, Mommy!" Once I started breathing again...and realized that he was having sooo much fun...I grabbed the camera so I could capture this! What fun and STRESS it is to be the Mommy of a little boy!

Better Late than Never!

2009-12-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm sitting by my Christmas tree blogging about Halloween...oh well, sometimes blogging is LOW on the priority list! This year, Mammy and PawPaw came to trick or treat with us. We all went to a little Halloween party at Patrick and Lyndsay's house, and went trick or treating with Tripp and John Patrick! Those boys had a BLAST! They would have been content to stay at the house and eat candy from the bowl there! We went around the neighborhood~isn't Cooper's Thomas flashlight the cutest thing? Mammy found it at a yard sale and Cooper was SO PROUD to carry it! (And yes, I tried to rotate that picture)!! After trick or treating, we came back and ate candy, did a little Halloween sticker project that Lyndsay's mom bought for the boys, and danced to Thriller!!! It was the best night just watching those little kiddos play and enjoy one another! Can't wait to do it again~this time they can destroy OUR house!

Boo at the Zoo

2009-11-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Boo at the Zoo!

2009-11-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, we went to Boo at the Zoo with the Congletons and the Andersons! They were all SO CUTE in their little costumes, although John Patrick HATED his and didn't wear it long! Cooper loved playing with Christian and John Patrick, and he was really sweet to baby Emory. Last year, he really didn't understand the whole trick-or-treating thing, so we mostly just walked around and played games. This year~it didn't take him long at all to figure it out! AND he wanted to play and do everything! The little ones had so much fun! Can't wait to do it all again next year!

2009-11-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

This year we headed back to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Clanton!! We love that place! Cooper had SO much fun this year! He wanted to run all over the place and do everything he saw! So...we spent tons of money and let him enjoy himself! He rode the tractor train with Mommy, pony ride with Daddy, petting zoo, inflatable park, hayride, picked a pumpkin (which was a VERY tough decision for him), found a new favorite thing to play in ~ HAY, and tasted cotton candy (which he still doesn't like). We were very busy at the pumpkin patch...but we had a blast! We can't wait to go back year after year!

Toes in the Water

2009-11-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

On the morning we were supposed to leave(of course) it was sunny and warm outside, so we did walk on the beach and play in the sand a little before heading home. This summer Cooper wanted NOTHING to do with the sand...his comment was "guck". He loved it this time. He had lots of fun digging in the sand and putting it in his bucket. He also loved throwing seashells in the ocean with Daddy. I can't wait to take him back this summer...I only hate that we have to wait 7 more months to go!

Looking for Crabs

2009-11-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

A Great Get-Away

2009-11-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Jared was working in Gulf Shores, so Cooper and I went down to stay with him for a few days. We left on Saturday morning and came home on Tuesday morning. It was COLD at the beach...didn't matter! We had a GREAT time just being together. We rode on the BIG ferris wheel at The Wharf, watched our first movie together in the theater, went shopping, spent time with family we don't get to see often enough, ate LOTS, played in the indoor pool, looked for crabs (even though we saw nothing but the holes they dug), and on the last day...we finally got to play on the beach before heading home! Cooper had a BLAST!! He's still talking about finding crabs, riding the big wheel, and playing in the sand! I love watching him grow and learn new things, and now that he is talking SO much~it's so much FUN to be new places with him and get a glimpse into that little mind! Even though it was cold and we were bundled up at the beach~it was so wonderful just to get away from the norm, enjoy time together, and just focus on our little family! We are so blessed!

Race (or walk) for the Cure

2009-11-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

On October 10th, my mother in law and I walked in the Race for the Cure. She is a breast cancer survivor and it meant a lot to both of us to walk in this together. Neither of us had ever been to the event and had no idea what to expect. The first thing we got to do was the survivor walk, and before we took 2 steps, we were both overwhelmed with the magnitude of the situation~and both of us were crying. We just simply did not realize how many women are affected by this, and I think it just made us both so thankful that she was a survivor. When the race began, we were toward the back of the pack and we could not see the end of the sea of people in either direction. It was a great way to spend that morning, with her, celebrating her miracle, and being reminded of how truly blessed we are!

Homecoming

2009-10-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we traveled to Florence to return to the University of North Alabama Homecoming game. UNA is a place that is dear to both of our hearts because it's where we met and our life together began. ...and if we could just live on love, we'd pack our bags and move back there tomorrow! It's just a great little town...lots to do, great schools, cute downtown area, and it just feels like a GREAT place to raise a family. It was WONDERFUL to go back and see friends that I had not seen in a LONG time. Friday night we met my parents in Florence with Cooper. They took him home with them so that Jared and I could visit with friends. We even went to the Pep Rally!! Saturday morning, we all went to the parade together. It was fun~but Cooper really wasn't as into it as we thought he might be. It was still fun for our friends to get to meet him! My dad took Cooper home for a nap while Jared and I went to a cheerleader reunion that had been planned for me to attend. We ate lunch with everyone, visited, and then walked around the BEAUTIFUL campus...so much has changed! Later that afternoon,we went to "Spirit Hill" and tailgated with everyone and saw more old friends. Dad brought Cooper down to tailgate with us since they had music and bouncy things for kiddos. Cooper had a BLAST~but our visiting with friends was DONE! We were now chasing him from one thing to the next and dancing with him! Very fun, but very stressful! After tailgating Dad went to the game with the three of us! Cooper LOVED the football game~it was his first! He cheered for the team saying "Run Boy!" "Throw football!" "Kick football!" "Go Li-Li!" (Lions) He even got to go with the trainer of the lions for a close look at them. He later told us that the "li-li eat bone" and "go night night"! Cooper loved dancing with the band, also. Cooper went home with PawPaw after watching the band perform at halftime. Jared and I left not long after to go back and eat at Ricatoni's~our favorite Italian restaurant in Florence! It was a great weekend! I am so looking forward to going back for years to come!

A Mind of His Own

2009-09-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Since we have been trapped in the house for what seems like FOREVER because of the rain...we have got to hear Cooper talk and play A LOT!!! It has been absolutely precious! He has just really started to pretend and play by himself. He talks to his choo-choos and some of them are sad, some are mad, some get told "no, no", some go to "mimeout"(aka timeout)! He has also developed an opinion about what clothes he is wearing! I was not prepared for that one...totally would expect that from a girl, but whatever! As you can see from the pictures...he chose to wear his "roll tide" shirt and blue shorts!! We played "night-night" and made a pretend bed in the chair for Cooper! He has also been playing with Link-A-Doos that were is a basket of his baby toys that he found. He has been putting them on his wrist as bracelets...about 7 of them!!! We fully thought he was going to wear the bracelets to church on Sunday...but he decided to obey us and leave them in the car without a fuss (Jared was thankful that HIS manhood was not compromised)!

Cooper hit a milestone...for us anyway, this weekend! He can now put together his OWN track!!! He worked SO hard trying to build this big track! He worked on all throughout the day and night on Saturday...and he was so proud! So were we...do you know how many times we have put that track together?? And yes, that track is in addition to the train table! Obsessive...we think so!

So I guess we are thankful for the rain! It gave us an opportunity to see Coop's little mind (and mouth) at work! We made some great memories over the weekend! Bring on the rain!

When the Rain Won't Go Away....

2009-09-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Cooper and Mommy go out to play!! We had the BEST time splashing in puddles yesterday! Cooper wanted these boots Friday night when we were at Target...even had to wear them out of Target! Guess he knew he'd need them!

CELEBRATE!!!

2009-09-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

On September 6th, my family had A LOT to celebrate. On August 18th of last year, my poppa was diagnosed with Stage 4 aggressive colon cancer, which had also spread to other parts of his body. We learned that surgery was not an option, and were not given very much hope. My poppa has bravely been taking chemotherapy for over a year now. The tumors have shrunk to about half of their original size, but that shrinking seems to stalled now. September 6th was his birthday, one we were not sure we would celebrate with him.

September 6th is also precious Maddie Kate's birthday. Maddie Kate is my cousin Jessica's little girl, and my poppa's third great grandchild. She was born last year on September 6th...she wasn't supposed to be born until mid November. She had to fight for a LONG time in the NICU, but she is healhty, happy, and beautiful now. That day was very hard for her mommy because Jessica fully remembers what a battle they all have fought over the last year.

So, this year on September 6th my family learned what it truly means to celebrate life and rejoice in every day that God blesses us with. It has been a difficult year, and one that was very sad at times~but today we were able to forget about all of that and just be together as a family and be thankful for THIS day that the Lord has made!

A BIG Choo-Choo

2009-09-15T17:49:00.001-07:00

Cooper has become obsessed with trains! I love it because for some strange reason I always pictured myself having a little boy who loved trains. Maybe it's because I have always thought they were so fascinating and have always wanted to take a trip on a train! Anyway, he LOVES trains. He loves watching Thomas the Train movies, even though they are quite boring to me. He sleeps with Thomas every night. And he plays with his train table we got him for his birthday constantly. He also has the book "The Little Red Caboose" memorized and we tell that story on the way to school every morning! It's amazing...without the book, he can tell me that the little red caboose always came last. Then, I say..."First, came the big black engine". Cooper replies "then boxcars, the oil cars, the coal cars, and flat cars"!! That's exactly the order of them in the story! He loves going across railroad tracks, and says everytime "red caboose come?" It's precious! A couple of weeks ago, we took him to ride a real train in Calera. We went on this ride last spring to go on an Easter egg hunt...but Cooper wasn't into trains then. It was an hour long train ride through the woods...and he loved every second of it! We sat out on an open car, and he was absolutely amazed! I'm not so sure that an hour was long enough for him! They also have old trains out that you can climb on and look at! Cooper loved doing that too! His favorite part was seeing where the coal goes. He will tell us that the choo-choo eats coal! Anyway, it was a great little Saturday morning perfectly spent!

2009-09-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Beach

2009-09-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure how I get so behind on blogging. I do want to do better and capture our memories. We did take a trip to the beach this summer! We stayed at Splash in Panama City! Cooper LOVED the "water park" that Splash has...the beach...not so much! He was not all about the sand and said it was "guck"! He had lots of fun jumping in the pool and playing in the play area! Jared and I took turns going down to the beach to relax while Cooper was napping! Our beach trips are no longer about just relaxing...but entertaining a toddler, forgetting about things at home, and just enjoying family time! Most of the time, we just stayed at the condo, the beach, or the pool. We went to eat at the Back Porch which was delicious! We also went to Pier Park twice because Cooper loved riding the train, and we loved all the neat things to do there! Before heading home, we visited Gulf World, which was a lot of fun. We saw a loat of water animals, and even watched a dolphin show!! That was the best part! We loved it, and can't wait to go back...in October we hope!

Happy 2nd Birthday Cooper!!!

2009-08-17T18:08:00.001-07:00

On Saturday...our little boy turned 2!!! I can't believe it! We celebrated with family and friends at the zoo...one of Cooper's places! We got to pet a turtle, a snake, and a ferret! We had cake and ice cream and then went to ride the choo-choo!!! Cooper was SO excited!!! After the train ride, Cooper walked(actually ran) around the zoo with his friends Christian and John Patrick! We walked around and looked at all the animals, stopped to pick up rocks, and finally ended up at the splash pad where we played in the water and rode the carousel with Nathan! It was such a FUN party! We came home, had a LONG nap, and then...present time!!! Cooper LOVED his train table...we weren't sure he was going to open anything else! He finally did leave the table long enough to open his presents! He got a lot of great toys! He even got the bike he had been asking Mammy and PawPaw for! We pushed him all around the house! Last, we took him outside to see his new swing set! He loved it!! He played with his new toys...mostly his train table until 10:00!!! He's never been up that late...but it was his birthday!!! I look forward to many more birthdays with this precious boy!

A Day with Friends

2009-08-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Best buds digging in the dirt
Sweet Baby Emory

Christian, Cooper, and John Patrick taking a snack break!

Christain and Cooper feeding a snack to the fish!

Earlier in the summer we me these sweet friends, Christian, Emory, John Patrick, and our friend Angela Blocker for a playdate in the park! We swang, fed the fish, had a snack, and played in the dirt! It was a fun day, and a HOT one too!
These sweet friends held hands like this all the way from the playground to the lake where we fed the fish! Christian has ALWAYS been such a sweet friend to Cooper, and he LOVES her! I know he will miss being with her at Mrs. Barbara's next year! We'll just have to be sure that we continue getting them together to play!

We've Been HERE a lot...

2009-08-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

We have absolutely LOVED going to the zoo this summer! Cooper loves seeing the animals...but he especially LOVES riding the "choo-choo". He can narrate the trip..he knows where the hippo stays, where the cranes are, when we go through the tunnel, pass the flamingos, and then the choo-choo goes "night-night"! It is so much fun to just be with him these days! I am amazed at how much he remembers and that he can now somewhat tell us what he is thinking! Although he hasn't been much of a talker, he has really just been taking everything in, and now he tells us a little bit of what goes on in that busy little mind of his! We have gone to visit the zoo late in the afternoon quite often! It's a great time to go for several reasons~no crowds, it's not AS hot, and it's feeding time for the animals so they're up and moving a lot more! That's how we got to see the red panda eating his dinner one night! Cooper stood and watched him for a very long time! He just kept saying, "he eat-in"! He also loves to feed the fish and the turtles! He has also fed those crazy lorikeets...but just once! Mostly, we watch Daddy from OUTSIDE the fence! We have had a BLAST with him this summer! I wish that I could freeze himin this precious stage of life that he is in right now...but then I remember that there are many precious memories to come! We are so blessed to be the parents of this sweet little boy!

Cooper's First Trip to the Emergency Room....

2009-08-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

happened on Mother's Day Weekend...and I JUST came across the pictures and realized that I never blogged about it! On Saturday morning Cooper was playing in his room, Jared was busy in the back of the house, pretty sure I was doing laundry (because it was Saturday and that's just what I do every Saturday). All of a sudden, I hear glass shatter...followed by Cooper SCREAMING! I run into the kitchen to see him standing in the middle of a broken snow globe which usually is in his closet...have no idea how he got in there! Anyway, I look down to his foot which is bloody and I tell myself over and over to "remain calm" as I carry him to a sink near Jared (in case I cannot remain calm or pass out first). He had a gash on the side of his foot which basically went down his entire foot! We got it to stop bleeding, he acted REALLY pitiful, we watched Nemo and ate popsicles on the couch. Then he took a nap. When he got up the huge band-aid had LOTS of blood on it, so I called the after hours nurse and she sent us to Children's (the one downtown). I would simply HATE to go back to Acton Road unless ABSOLUTELY necessary! Remember I said Cooper was acting REALLY pitiful?? I mean he was not putting ANY pressure at all on his foot, and we really could not tell how bad it was because it started bleeding so badly when we tried to look. No kidding, as soon as we got to our room in the ER, he was running around, jumping on their bed, spinning on the stools, etc. He even let the doctor flush it out with saline~OUCH! (to make sure there was no glass in it)where he would scream like he was dying if we even touched it! So...basically they wrapped it in some gauze, kissed the boo-boo and sent us on our merry way! Later when he would let us near it, we realized that he basically just took off a little layer of skin BUT better to error on the side of caution...right??? Even if we're tagged as overreactive parents?

Zoo Members

2009-07-30T18:28:00.001-07:00

Before the summer started, we decided to become zoo members! It was the BEST money we've ever spent! We have gone A LOT...and we're having Coop's birthday party there! These pictures are a few of my favorites from the first 2 trips of the summer. On Saturday mornings, you can get REALLY up close and personal with the giraffes. You can feed them!!! Cooper LOVED feeding them...wasn't scared the least little bit! I,on the other hand, was a little intimidated by their tongues which are as long as my arm (probably)! I also love how he's holding his little arms out trying to "catch" a butterfly in that exhibit! He had a BLAST playing on the splash pad! He kept trying to catch it with his hands AND in his mouth. He also tried to swim in it which was hilarious! He's very creative sometimes, and definitely has a picture in his mind of how things should work..even if it doesn't always turn out that way! He's a lot of FUN right now! We remind ourselves of how much fun he is when he is right in the middle of a "terrible two tantrum" which is NOT fun in any way! Just all part of it, I suppose!

A Visit From Grammy and PawPaw

2009-05-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Grammy and PawPaw came to visit a couple of weeks ago! We had lots of fun! They brought Cooper an Easter basket that was a HUGE sand basket filled with candy and tons of toys for the beach!!! Sissy also came to visit and we all went to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza and playing! Cooper had lots of fun watching and joining PawPaw and Daddy play basketball! When we left he had enough tickets to get a Chuck E. Cheese ball of his very own! Perfect!

Easter Festivities

2009-05-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

5 Wonderful Years

2009-05-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

On April 10th(yes~over a month ago) Jared and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary!! Since this was the only Friday Jared would be home in the month of April~I took the day off of work just to spend it with him! He let me sleep in while he took Cooper to Mrs. Barbara's. When he came home, he cooked me breakfast and served it to me in bed! We then got ready for a whole day of just enjoying one another. We went to lunch at P.F Chang's and then headed to the Botanical Gardens. It was so beautiful, peaceful, and wonderful. It was so nice just to walk holding hands and talk, or not talk, and just exist with one another. AFter the Botanical Gardens, we both went to pick up Coop and spend the afternoon with him. Jared's mom came over and Jared and I went to dinner at The Tavern at the Summit. It was delicious! Since it was early, we decided to drive up to the Vulcan and look out over the city and talk more. It was a wonderful day of celebrating our wonderful marriage! I am so blessed to be his wife. God gave me such a precious gift in him!

RUNNING WAY BEHIND!!

2009-05-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted in over a month!!! I have a great excuse! Jared has been working (and living) out of town (except on weekends) for the past five weeks!!! So, pretty much when Cooper went to bed, I quickly followed! While Daddy was out of town...we went to the park A LOT!!! Here are a few cute pics I snapped while we were playing!

Georgia Aquarium

2009-04-12T12:09:00.001-07:00

Over Spring Break...a month ago!! we took Cooper to the Georgia Aquarium! He LOVED it! He just wanted to run from tank to tank looking at everything! He is currently obssessed with turtles and penguins, so every fish, animal, etc that we saw, when we told him the name of it, he nodded his little head and said either "tur-tle" or "min-gin"! He had a BLAST~we crashed afterwards at the hotel thinking Cooper would do the same~no such luck! He had no nap and never missed a beat~Jared and I were struggling to make it to bedtime!! Such fun!

Joe Tucker Park

2009-04-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

So...I'm a little behind on posting. Trust me...we're busy around here, and when Cooper crashes so do we! After Cooper and I came home from TN over Spring Break, we spent the next day just hanging out with Daddy! We went to our FAVORITE park...Joe Tucker Park in Helena! Here are a few of my favorite pictures!

Farmin'

2009-03-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

While we were on Spring Break~Cooper and I went to Tennessee to visit my family! Monday morning, we went with Grammy and PawPaw to feed Poppa's goats. Cooper loved it! He petted the goats, looked very carefully at the chickens, and chased all the cats away! It was such a fun morning. Maybe he won't grow up to be a complete "City Slicker"!!

Out on a DATE!!

2009-03-20T19:01:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, Jared and I went on a date for an entire day!! First, we took Coop to Gigi and Granddad's, where he enjoyed chasing and petting the "meow". We then went bowling...and I WON!!!! After bowling, we went to Zoe's to eat lunch and then held hand and walked through little shops and along the street at Patton Creek. On the way to pick up Cooper, we stopped at the Nestle Toll House Cafe...I did not know there was such a place!!! It was amazing...warm, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies from the people who know chocolate best! It was a perfect endingto a perfect date! I can't wait to do it again...well, maybe a week or two..I still HATE being away from little Cooper!

The Zoo

2009-03-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we took Cooper to the zoo! He hada great time! It was so muchfunto take him and see him get so excited about the animals. He loves going to the barn because he can actually touch the animals. Today was exciting because we heard and saw the tiger roaring, a crazy pig tried to eat Cooper's shoes, we fed the lorikeets, and Cooper got to see a "turtle" up close and personal. He is currently obsessed with turtles since PawPaw taught him to say the word. It was a GREAT day! Maybe we should get a membership before this summer!

Loved Ones

2009-03-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

This post is waaay late, but we've been busy and sleepy! On Valentine's weekend, we went up to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday! While we were there, we took the usual trip to spend time with Pop and Gran~Gran. It was wonderful to see them, as it always is. Time just stops when we're there~and we can just sit and be with them. I love their house more than any other place in the world! That night, Grammy and PawPaw kept Cooper while Jared, Courtney, and I had planned to go to the movies. We took one look at the lines and said "no thanks." So...we went bowling instead and we had a BLAST! The perfect Valentine's Day, spent with those we love the most!

Happy 50th Dad!

2009-03-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, we surprised my dad for lunch at Texas Roadhouse for his 50th birthday!! It was TONS of fun!! We had black balloons, a silly party hat, embarrassing gifts, a yummy cake, and just plain old FUN time with the family!! There was another lady sitting behind us that was celebrating her 40th birthday~so they brought out this saddlehorse thing? and all the waiters came and did a line dance with my dad and this woman!! The woman was asked to sit on the saddle~they kindly told my dad that he should stand to theside!! (We know they were afraid my big ole daddy would break the thing!!) It was a lot of fun to surprise him and just go home for much needed and enjoyed time with family!

BIG NEWS!!!!!

2009-02-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

Cooper pee-peed in the potty for the first time tonight!!!! We were getting ready for a bath, he came in and said, "I pee, pee", I took off the diaper, put him on the potty...and then I heard it!!!! I think I scared him when I started screaming, dancing, and singing a made-up potty song!! He kind of backed away from me and then started dancing with me! I don't have pictures because I'm here all alone this week and Cooper was trying to put his foot in the potty and trying to get in the bathtub and I couldn't get to the camera with him unsupervised~plus I have mixed feelings about posting a picture of his pee-pee in the potty. He helped me put it in the big toilet~said "bye-bye" and we flushed it!! What a BIG boy! (and yes I know that this is probably a fluke, but we celebrated just the same)!!

"Bibbit, Bibbit"

2009-02-23T18:49:00.000-08:00

Cooper had been acting interested in going to the potty. After going to his 18 month check-up and talking with Dr. Jolly (who I love and respect a great deal), he seemed to think that we should get a potty and start the process. He thought that Cooper was ready! Well, we rushed straight to Target and bought the cutest potty they had~one that looks like a frog!! We showed it to Cooper, talked to him about pee`peeing in the potty, etc. He said "I pee~pee" several times, we would get really excited and take him to sit on the potty(pic 2), waiting (not making a sound) and wanting to hear him pee-pee in the potty. Instead, he says "bibbit, bibbit" and pushes the frog all around the bathroom(pic 1)!! We love you Dr. Jolly, but we're real around here~and I'm not so sure he's quite ready YET!!

Our Funny Little Boy

2009-02-17T18:07:00.000-08:00

We were playing with the glow sticks Sammy gave us at his party~Cooper wanted to put them in his diaper and run around screaming "GOOOOO!"
Showing us his tongue after eating a blue "cucker"

Cooper attemted to put the glow sticks in his diaper all by himself!

Racing his cars down the ramp he got for Christmas from Santa

Playing hide and seek behind my curtains~I hope our house will withstand him in the next few years!

Cooper absolutely amazes us with some of the things he comes up with when we are playing with him! These are just a few of the moments we have been able to capture. It is so neat and so much FUN to see this little person emerging!! Until now I think we have looked at him as our little baby~now he actually is our little BOY who runs, talks, laughs, and develops a plan and carries it out during his play~AMAZING!! We are having so much FUN playing with him and watching his little personality grow and develop~MOST of the time (minus a few tantrums here and there). We are learning that those are part of the personality trying to grow and develop as well~"FUN" is not the word I would choose to describe those moments!

So CUTE...but I am partial!

2009-02-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite picture of us~and yes that is a battery powered 4-wheeler in the middle of my kitchen floor. It's cold outside and these days~we pick our battles!

Can we please go now?

"Cheese!"

posing

I bought this cute little outfit for Coop around Christmas time thinking "a snowman outfit is practical because he can wear it the rest of the winter!" That coupled with fact that I LOVED the outfit and I am on borrowed time with how long I can dress him in cute things like this prompted me to buy it! When I layed it out for church the other day Jared said, "Isn't this more of a Christmas outfit?" I quickly explained my "snowmen last through winter" theory and told him if it WAS ONLY more of a Christmas outfit~then I payed a lot of money for something that he would never get to wear! Then I asked Jared if he wanted to know how much the outfit was~he quickly agreed that Cooper could wear the snowman until winter was over and got him dressed for church!

A Visit from Grammy and PawPaw

2009-02-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

PawPaw resting during a game of Wii bowling!
Jared was very serious about the bowling match!

PawPaw WINS!!!

Cooper getting "wa-wa" from PawPaw

Grammy and I left the boys to do a little shopping and breathe a little fresh air! When we came home, this is how we found Cooper!

My mom and dad came to visit a couple of weekends ago. It was so GREAT to see them and spend time with them! They have not been to visit since August when they came to Cooper's birthday party because 2 days after the party we all were hit with the news that my Poppa had a very aggressive form of cancer in its late stages. My mom has spent every moment with him and my Granny helping out, carrying them for treatments, feeding farm animals, etc. Basically, she has put her own life on hold for the past 6 months. My mom is okay with that because that is just the type of person she has ALWAYS been~she is extremely others-centered. BUT~she needed this trip and this time with us and little Cooper! The doctors had performed a scan to see how the treatments had worked and they were set to get the results on Monday, so my mom needed time away to take her mind off of what news they might receive. Praise God that the results were fantastic!!! ALL tumors had shrunk at least 50% in size with the ones on his lungs almost completely GONE!! Isn't God amazing! We all know that the road ahead of him is still long, but for now we are thankful and hopeful!

Silly Boys

2009-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

His laughter is the sweetest sound in the world!

I'll get you, Daddy!

Tickle, Tickle

That smile melts my heart into a BIG puddle!

Cooper loves to play on our bed! I think he realizes how soft it is. Therefore, he has NO FEAR on it! He jumps, falls, rolls, stands, whatever~and yes I was taught NOT to jump on the bed~and eventually we'll teach him that~but for now we just jump right with him!

Table Manners

2009-02-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

Yummy~Peanut Butter!

Yes~he is trying to eat it like an animal

Very creative way to eat~use you thumb as the fork!

Delicious!

We have found a new food that Cooper LOVES~peanut butter!! We knew he loved the little peanut butter and crackers, but I had never offered him peanut butter until recently! Poor thing was missing out~obviously!! Anyway, last week was ROUGH for all of us! Cooper had a fever virus from Saturday until Tuesday. The following Saturday he woke up with pink eye in one eye, but before the day was done it was in both eyes. I know you will find it hard to believe as you are looking at pictures of him, but we were having a hard time getting him to eat anything~so we tried peanut butter and it was a HUGE success ( also a HUGE mess). By this point in this parenting journey, I have had to learn that HUGE messes just come right along with it!

OOPS!

2009-01-26T18:16:00.001-08:00

Finished product of the one he did totally by himself!
concentrating sooo hard

the first masterpiece

So the last post had a duplicate of one of the pictures and I left these out~I'm still getting used to blogging on our new blog! Oh well, Cooper had so much fun painting and I had so much fun watching him learn something new and being so into it!!

Our Little Artist

2009-01-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

One day last week when Cooper was home sick, I pulled out a "paint with water" book that I had bought one day while out and about. He LOVED it!!! I showed him one time how to dip the brush and then paint with it on the paper, and he wanted to do it all by himself! He kept dipping and rubbing that brush all around on the paper! He was SO proud of himself, and so was I!! Once he finished, I took the paper over to the counter to let it dry. Then, he realized that splashing in the water was also SO much fun!! So he poured it onto his tray and splashed away! He is SUCH a BOY, and I love it (most of the time)!!

When You Are Sick...

2009-01-21T18:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday after Sammy's party, Cooper came home and took a 5 hour nap! While most people would jump up and down that their child took that long of a nap (and the thought did cross my mind)I know Cooper well enough to know that something had to be wrong. I was right~he woke up with a temp of 99.8. Within 20 minutes, the fever was 100.3. I gave him Motrin and before it kicked in, his temp was 101.3. I freaked out a tiny bit because Jared was out of town hunting with no cell service, so I called the nurse. She told me just to treat the symptoms of the fever and not to worry~yeah right! Sunday morning, his fever was 102.3! I gave him Motrin again like the nurse said, and the fever broke. He played, ate, drank, it never slowed him down. However, when he woke from his nap he was screaming and shaking uncontrollably~I freaked out MORE than a tiny bit. I called the nurse back and got an appointment at Children's South later that evening. Jared got home in time to go with me to the appointment. Well, when we got there there were TONS of sick children running around and playing with toys. When I went to sign in I noticed a sign that said "Wait time WITH appointment - 2-3 hours"!!!! I was NOT about to sit in that room with all those kids playing and spreading whatever they had so we left and decided to take him to his dr. Monday morning. He was diagnosed with a "fever virus" that just had to run its course. So, for the past couple of days we have catered to his every need AND want!! Isn't that what you do when they are so pitiful?!

Happy Birthday, Sammy!!!

2009-01-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday, we went to Jump Zone for Sammy's 3rd birthday party!! Sammy is Cooper's best buddy from Mrs. Barbara's. Sammy introduced Cooper as "Coop~Dog" to everyone when he arrived at the party! Cooper had never been to anything like that before and he had a BLAST!! He jumped, played, and ran all over that place! Mommy did too! Cooper is such a fun little boy! I loved kicking off my shoes and jumping/playing with him! Can't wait to do it again~after I've had a few weeks to recover and rest!

Mini-Me

2009-01-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

On Sundays, Jared usually dresses Cooper for church so that I can look presentable when we get there! Most of the time we discuss what Cooper will wear. Last Sunday, however, Jared dressed Cooper all by himself (and he always does a great job) but when Cooper walked into our room and I saw him dressed like this, I just had to stop getting ready, cry a little, and hug them both A LOT!! Cooper looked like such a little boy and it hit me that my baby was disappearing and turning more and more into a little boy! He looks a lot like Jared anyway~but on this day~it was like looking at a miniture Jared!! My heart just melted into a little puddle~and I was reminded of how tremendously blessed I am BEFORE even getting to church!

Rain, Rain Go Away

2009-01-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

Cooper had a BLAST playing in the sink!

Our kitchen floor was soaked...and worth it all!
This picture should be first...I'm still trying to figure out posting on here.

Splashing in our pajamas won't work!!

Cooper found Daddy's hunting bag in the closet...

and decided to try on a few things!

One day last week while we were all still home for the Christmas break, it POURED down raining all day long! Even though we had TONS of new things to play with~Cooper is extremely active and not occupied with one thing very long! So~we had to improvise a little! We were putting away decorations and cleaning out some things and Cooper found some "fun" in the closet. He also kept going into his bathroom and trying to get his new boat and toys out of the tub. I should have just put him in the tub~but since it was almost nap time, I thought I would just let him splash in the sink with his boat. Well~he couldn't reach his toys in the sink~so he eventually got IN the sink. Then, he did NOT like having on wet clothes~so I stripped him and let him splash away!!! He had the most fun I think I've ever seen him have!! If only we had known~we could have saved LOTS of money on Christmas!! Just kidding~the look on his little face Christmas can not be bought with any amount of money! And that mid-day splash in the sink was worth every soaking wet towel we immediately took to the dryer. As an extra bonus, Cooper took a 3 HOUR nap after all that FUN!! I can't wait for more rainy days!

New Year Noodle O's

2009-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

If Cooper has a favorite food (and you can tell that MANY are his favorites) it's Noodle O's!! Grammy and PawPaw introduced them to him this past summer, and he's been a fan ever since! So, we decided to let him ring in the New Year with his favorite lunch!! I think he enjoyed, don't you!? Later, we went to Gigi and Granddad's where Jared and I ate a more traditional New Year's lunch! Hope all are blessed and happy in 2009!