Oops-a-Daisy

Rockport Sand Castle Festival

2011-04-18T22:01:00.005-05:00

Finally made it back down to the Coast with our Best Friends, the Chiocca Family!!! Had a fantastic time at the pool, Port Aransas Beach, dinner and our very own Crab boil(thanks to the guys!!)
The weekend went too fast as always, but it was SO good to re-connect with friends and be able to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather!!!(had to rub that in since my family back in Canada just got 'pummeled' with 10 cm of fresh snow just this past weekend- it has been an awful year in terms of weather for them)
All I can say is that it had better "warm up" back home, cause we have a trip planned in T-5 weeks:)

A little me in my little B!

2011-01-30T20:42:00.002-06:00

While cleaning out Brooklyn's closet today, I came across a bag of clothes that my Mom had brought out here on one of her last trips, dresses and blankets of mine from 30+ years ago.........so I couldn't resist a pic of B in one of the dresses.....now to find one of me in the same one!!!

HNY!!!!

2011-01-09T08:17:00.009-06:00

That's Happy New Year.........and this year started off with a *bang* or rather, a possiblity of a bang!!! We had a fantastic holiday up in Canada with the craziest, most loving, adventurous family you can imagine....and we are so glad to call them ours!!!!! Cooper learned to ski, Brooklyn would have NO part of it, and since it was minus 18 degrees the day we all hit the hill, we froze!!!
The entire trip was filled with family time, eating, cooking, visiting, ice fishing, card playing, eating, playing dress-up(kids only I assure you!), watersliding, skiing, deep cleaning(going thru OLD college boxes in the cool room), shopping, drinking Timmie's coffee, ................everyone had such a great time and we are seriously considering finding our way back up there permanently....
All a great end to a fantastic year!
2011 met us with our farewell trip to the airport in which we found ourselves on a plane with a damaged hydraulic system. We had just taken off and after about 15 minutes in the air the pilot realized that our landing gear wouldn't come back up , so he announced that we were going to have to return to Calgary, make an emergency landing, but NOT to worry, because there would be Firetrucks and Emergency vehicles 'waiting' for us on the ground! (ALREADY feeling SO much safer!) Apparently we would be having to 'burn off' some fuel,(no doubtedly, we were a flammable capsule of petrol!!!!)and would be circling the airport........those may have been the Loooooongest 15 minutes of our entire lives, not knowing if the landing gear would still BE there when needed, .........Your life really flashes before your eyes in a situation like that and you realize that family and friends are really the ONLY things that matter.......and so we landed( a perfectly executed one by the pilot), firetrucks circling us, all passengers still breathing and joyously applauding our safe arrival! Welcome 2011!!!!
Spending that evening in an airport hotel and having to reclaim our baggage, re-pack, go thru security & immigration and re-board a plane the following day were not the 'highlight' of our trip, how-ever they were a reminder of all that matters and that we were live, and together, and so we are going to push thru this New Year with more energy and purpose than ever before!!!!!!

Spring, TX

2010-10-24T18:36:00.003-05:00

Finally getting a moment to post after 3 LOOOOOONNNG months, we were able to visit our best friends out of town for the weekend.....we LOVE these guys SO much!

2010-07-18T08:24:00.002-05:00

Just working with my camera, FINALLY, after getting a new one almost a year ago! Trying to step out of my 'safety zone' and finally shoot in Manual mode........more to come......hopefully!!!:)

2010-06-20T17:38:00.003-05:00

FINALLY got up to visit my sweet friend, Amber , from Dental Hygiene School!! Here girls are SO close in age to our kiddos and they were a blast! We had a great time 'catching' up and watching the kids have an impromptu pool party!! (Excuse Cooper's "only" choice of swimwear:))
We just got back from "another" weekend away from home, the Coast, and you'll all be delighted that I chose to leave my camera behind.....just a weekend to relax!!!!
P.S. and oh so proud of myself for blogging 'twice' so far this month:)

Brooklyn's 3rd Bday ' Cupcake' Party!!!!!

2010-06-05T08:27:00.003-05:00

Weekend at the Coast!

2010-04-23T18:20:00.002-05:00

My Pumpkin Patch Kids!

2009-10-26T21:44:00.001-05:00

We've got R.A.I.N!!!!

2009-10-05T21:25:00.004-05:00

and LOTS of mosquito bites:( BOO!

While we've been away......

2009-10-04T11:20:00.001-05:00

Our little "cupcake" princess
Parker-Posey
Mazy Moozer
and Our little Longhorn!

2009-06-29T13:33:00.004-05:00

Off to a blazing start with this summer.......we've barely hit below 95 degrees over the past 3 weeks!! HOTT!!
We were able to visit our best friends in Spring over the Father's Day weekend while James was off in Canada fishing! We needed to borrow Uncle "Dabe"(Gabe) as our honorary 'Father'! And we had a fantastic time, as always, eating, sleeping, swimming, and playing NON-STOP!!!!!

Once James got back in town, Cooper decided we should whip up a plate of Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes and celebrate a 'late' Father's Day, and then he seriously overloaded on the non-baked, raw egg remnants! But the picture was too cute to pass up!

Then Cooper(and Cooper only!) had a nice bout with Vomiting literally 2 days later, and I had a full week at work(filling in for a hygienist who was on vacation, so I could also save up for a new big girl bed for Brookie) which was severly cut short by the sickness! :( Boo- sorry Brooks it'll take Mommy a little more time!
Then we signed up at a new gym, that has an amazing kids area(yay!), a resort style outdoor pool with slides, and a 24 hr schedule which will prevent me from coming up with ANY excuses NOT to go! SO excited and we have used the pool EVERY day since!
On a much 'heavier' note, poor little Cooper has a little hernia, among a few other little 'complications' in the nether regions and we are just asking for a little prayer for our little munchkin that he'll be able to get through this like a tough boy! He did SO well today at the Dr, and we see a specialist in 2 weeks, and were told that it wasn't life threatening unless it starts to swell, turn blue(?) or he has major discomfort! So that's SUPER COMFORTING right before we head out of town for the 4th of July weekend! Yikers! Poor little guy has been an awesome patient and quite the little trooper.......all will be well in a few weeks! We hope......

2009-06-15T08:44:00.003-05:00

There are a few very important items that MUST be present for 'Ms. Princess's' bath! And I mean there are NO excuses! This little girl of mine has had a 'Diva' attitude since about 6 months of age, and DETESTS the bath! Who doesn't like the bath? I mean, really, it's about the most relaxing thing there is.........but we get to endure screaming, kicking, crying, gasping all for the sake of a little hair wash and body scrub!

We hate to even enter the bathroom if not TOTALLY necessary, so this is making a 2nd round of attempted potty training extremely difficult! And without TOO much information, she is TERRIFIED of #2!~ She's maybe done it once while I held her on there against her will, which actually ended in a HUGE smile and a "I DID IT MOM!!!" Success! Or so I thought!
Well, we are still plugging away on this one- and girls are supposed to be easier than the boys? Not so in this case........and it doesn't help having my mom tell me that we were ALL trained by age 2! Aghhhhhhhh!!! And 'patience' is NOT my specialty!

Tips, pointers, suggestions, please?

A sweet little flower (that came out of Cooper's pocket after a bike ride) that he picked for me!

2009-06-08T08:03:00.008-05:00

We had such a great time in Canada that we wanted to post some more pictures!

Ria, Elise & Cooper on Great- Grandpa's tractor!

Cooper Just posing!

Cooper LOVED this swing that Grandpa George hung in the yard!

Blowing Dandelions for the first time!

Coop had a great time running across the tops of these hay bails- surprisingly we can't do this in Texas!

Grandpa George took us to this Buffalo Farm, and I tried to get a LITTLE too close to get a picture, and had to race back to the car! HAH!!!

Just a mix of some old farm parts and Coop!

Grandpa Geaorge & Brooklyn and her beloved 'Timbits'

Daddy pushing Brooklyn in a 'wee little' wheelbarrow!

Uncle Clint & Aunt Robin!

Enjoying a super fun Marshmallow roast @ Uncle Clint's house!

This is a nice mix of 'yogurt & garden dirt':)

Grandma Goose doing what she LOVES & DOES best!

Cole, Gavin & Grandpa Lynn at the Golf Tourney!

Grandpa George @ his 89th Bday Golf Tournament! His team WON of course!

And now we are back to reality, in fact I have no idea how I am posting this as I should be getting ready for work, but had a lot to catch up on! In fact, today I am announcing that i will be working for free since I got my FIRST ticket yesterday crossing a median ina construction zone off of I-10 cause the traffic was going WAY TOO slow!! BOO- couldn't talk myself out of this one!! Cooper kept saying , 'I think the policeman is going to give you a BIG sticker!' Sadly, he was very wrong.............

Happy Birthday Brookie!

2009-05-25T16:11:00.004-05:00

Our little princess is 2 years old today! Wow- time flies! I remember her birth-day like it was yesterday- I was so excited to meet our sweet little daughter, to see what she looked like, felt like, smelled like! And everything she was (and is) is exactly how I pictured her to be! She LOVES everything Princess & Dora, and at the same time, loves to get rough and tumble with her brother!
She is a super sweetheart always making sure everyone is OK, and gives the BEST bearhugs and kisses~~We love you SO much Brookie, and can't wait to continue to see you grow and mature! We are already so proud of all that you do~

FFF Giveaway!!!

2009-05-13T08:17:00.003-05:00

Here we go again, but I am entering ANOTHER contest and you can too! Although my BIG baby girl is way to big to try to even get 1 leg in to these suckers, I am entering the contest , cause they are great as gifts!!!!! They have so many cute colors, and are so comfortable to wear!!!!! Go here to 'Fabulous Fun Finds' today!

Win Me!!!!

2009-05-13T07:29:00.003-05:00

I have become obsessed with this site as of late. Any one from US and Canada can enter to win fabulous fun prizes and this week they have these darling shoes to win! Check it out right here.
Brooklyn's shoe size is growing every day, so this is about the last season she'll be able to wear these darling sandals, so I am going to enter as many times as I can......you can too!

Crackers, Margaritas, & Coca Cola

2009-05-04T14:54:00.008-05:00

After a great weekend at the Coast, we are back and refreshed- well....kind of.

I ate too many of these by the pool..

Made too many of these.....by the pool......
And after 3 years of virtually no rays, I have decided that my pastiness no longer belongs in a swimsuit! Not so pretty!!!

And I am thinking that poor Brooklyn is gonna follow in my footsteps!

As soon as we got home, Cooper was good enough to cut the grass,

And then had a 'Soda' break!

My new love!

2009-04-24T22:34:00.001-05:00

Friendly Fires - New Music - More Music Videos

Looking Back!

2009-04-22T09:22:00.004-05:00

I was searching though old photos of the days when we used to travel alot, and when I was still attending seminars with my hubby. I remember this day like it was yesterday. We were in San Francisco and Cooper was only 6 1/2 months old, but this little guy started to crawl in the hotel room shortly after this picture was taken......my how he's grown.......

Tee hee hee....these totally make me laugh!

2009-04-18T16:42:00.002-05:00

and I think that I would have a LOT of material to share with these funny ladies!!!
ENJOY!

Disney on Ice!

2009-04-11T20:50:00.001-05:00

No commentary necessary- the kids were totally enthralled!!!

The reason Dinner was a little late last night...

2009-04-10T08:06:00.002-05:00

Nothing makes me smile more than when the kids are playing 'life' and helping to clean, work in the yard, doing 'laundry'(where they pry open the bottle of fabric softener and "gingerly" pour it into the 'detergent' part of our washing machine), feeding the animals, helping to clean out the dishwasher........and so I was pleasantly surprised when Cooper said he had to work in his "office" while I got dinner started! GREAT way to keep him occupied while I was in the kitchen. So off he went (with his 'Assistant', Brooklyn, following close behind )into the library to get to work, and not to worry- I periodically peeked over to see if they were behaving themselves....he was pretty much writing charts while she stamped paperwork!

After about 10 minutes, I was summoned over to his 'Clinic' where he was "gonna give me my 'justment!" ('Adjustment' in true Chiropractic terminology)
So I laid face down on the table, while he gathered his 'tools' as he called them, and started to actually doze off......(to actually LAY DOWN is extremely dangerous for ANY hard worked SAHM to do at ANY point in the day!)
I then felt about 100 of these being strategically clipped to various parts of my clothing, followed by a 'sprinkling' of these and lastly I was 'adding-machine-paper-rolled' with a looooooong roll of James' perfectly good paper, but I really didn't mind cause it was so relaxing, and now I was seriously drooling.....plus little Brooks (who has had a little ear infection and she was being super lovey) laid down with me to endure our 30 min treatment...at which point we were both awoken with a firm grasp and 'super torque' of my delicate neck! YEOOOOUUUCHHHHH! Our little boy has strong hands!

2009-03-30T14:58:00.006-05:00

When confronted with this:

you gotta make these:

Our 'Family Adopted' (suppose-ed) Neiman Marcus Choc. Chip Cookies (with a *tweak*!)

1/2 cup Butter(preferably not chewed on!)
1 cup Flour
1 cup Oatmeal
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup. *slivered almonds/sunflower seeds*(our addition!)
1/4 cup.*coconut flakes*(our addition!)
8 oz. Chocolate Chips(or *Easter M&M's*- our addition!)

Mix all ingredients together by hand(just kidding- use 'yer mixer), and lastly add the choc chips by hand!
Spoon by teaspoonful onto cookie sheets and Bake for 10 min @375!

Makes 24 yummy lazy day cookies!
Enjoy!

(Cooper demonstrating on the lower' Cool' oven- *nobody was harmed or placed in harm's way in the baking of these scrumptious cookies!*)

Contest Entry and the 'SoodleSeat'!!!

2009-03-25T18:44:00.006-05:00

Okay- nobody laugh, but I am entering my sweet friend Jenn's Photography contest, and am posting my results! I slaved with my camera and my exhausted kids for ~4 hours this afternoon, and they now officially 'hate' their mommy! OK, hates a strong word, but they would really rather not see my face right now!!!

And by the way!!! VERY IMPORTANT NEWS!!!

One of my other super sweet longtime friends, Jamie, has developed a super awesome cure for fussy, colicky babies!!! It's called the SoodleSeat! She has engineered this kick butt invention that helps soothe and calm your little fuss-muss so BOTH of you can enjoy those early months without totally going bonkers! It really rocks, and like my friend Hailey stated- these would make fabulous Baby Shower gifts, in fact, if you are preggers right now, you'd better bet your belly button, you'll be getting one of these from Yours Truly;)

Check it out HERE

A week in review!

2009-03-22T20:01:00.007-05:00

Seems like I am having more problems than ever keeping up with my blog, but we (I've) been crazy busy! First off, we got a call from Cooper's preschool and they had a (surprise!!) opening for Brooklyn to start Tuesday in their 2year old class, and because she is so tall and mature (?) for her age, they decided to open the spot for her!!! So with only being 21 months old, I was hesitant, but she was SO ready!!! She picked out her very own 'Dora' lunch pack, and was so delighted to be able to start school with Cooper(since she cries every time we drop him off, this was her chance to be a big girl too!) And I am proud to say that her teacher said she fit right in, and was so lovey-dovey with everyone, and if ANYONE had a hand free, she would grab it and say, "hold hands, please?" Awwwwww............

( Brooklyn not AT ALL excited about her 1st day of school)

Thursday I awoke to lots of Birthday wishes(and don't even worry- I am staying 'young' with lots of help from a lovely hormonal breakout!) , flowers, Eye Serum treats(from my sweet friend, Jillers) and cards, and then a 'spaz' attack trying to get the kids ready for school!!! Once they were dropped off I treated myself to an indulgent 5 hours of reading at Barnes and Noble, picking out the kids Easter outfits('Heaven' to shop for them , and actually be able to THINK without being interrupted by their hunger pangs, bathroom breaks, or running away!) After the kiddos were picked up from school, we napped and once out babysitter arrived, I was wisked away for a *surprise* dinner at a fantastic restaurant on the S.A. Riverwalk called, "Boudro's" where we enjoyed some yummy 'Prickly- Pear Margaritas', table-side Guacamole and chips, Shrimp, Lobster & Rib Eye with fresh veggies, couscous, and lemon cheescake! DIVINE!!!!

Friday, Cooper decided to water the grass and flower beds, and after 1 hour of sprinkle time we found ourselves with a 'fishing pond' in our very own front yard!!! Super Fun!!!
(Fishing- Cooper's FAVE thing to do!)

Saturday we got to have our Easter portraits taken by one of my best friends, Jenn, (click HERE to go to her website!)and she had a baby goat named 'Penelope' to jump in on our pictures!!! The kids loved her and most of all the Lollipops that we had to use to bribe them to pose for us! And then all the kids got to hang out and play on the swings and slide!!! Can't wait to see the images!

And today we woke up to eager kids ready for a Texas State Park Adventure!! We headed off to "Enchanted Rock", and after a small detour(1 hour to be EXACT!) we were restless and ready to stretch our legs!!! The hike was awesome, and I dressed in LONG SLEEVES on the 81 degree hike(*Brilliant*), but ended up having a blast, and having Brooklyn fall asleep on the hike down! I figure carrying a 32 pd. weight down the rocks will suffice for my weekly workout!!! And then some............
(Brooklyn brought the map!)

(and 'Moses' parted the Sea, i mean "Rocks"!)

2009-03-16T12:12:00.000-05:00

I've been blowing up balloons ALL morning for this little guy........but how can I resist his precious little 'pace'....

2009-03-11T09:03:00.008-05:00

Wowzers Menowzers!!!

It's almost been an entire month since our last post! This the name of said BLOG!!!! HAH!!!

Well, we have been quite busy , traveling to see friends in Spring, visiting the Woodlands Children's Museum, outing to the Kemah Boardwalk(on a VERY windy day!), date night with friends at Il Divino, a trip to our condo at the Coast, some fishing, building a sand castle, a carnival, more date nights, and Dr visits(NOT for the kids, thank goodness)!!! Whewwww!!!!!

3 weeks in pictures;)

Heart Day!!!

2009-02-14T17:12:00.003-06:00

Well, can I just say that I am so glad James decided to surprise me last night with Dinner & Shopping!!! Since the flu bug has been swarming around our house for the past 2 weeks, and we haven't been out at ALL, we were planning a low key Valentine's Day lunch & movie! Thursday night I came down with fever, chills, and a super sore throat, so I thought I was doomed to stay in yet again this weekend, but to my surprise I felt alot better:) YAY!!!
Friday morning I had my hair appt-3 weeks overdue- which was like heaven, and when I got home, this was waiting for me:

And then he surprised me with an evening out to Maggiano's(which leftovers we are still enjoying today!) and some shopping!(mostly for him- I did get a free eye cream sample!)

And with our new mixer,(and with the idea from my super friend & HOT mom) I made this yummy Banana Chocolate Chip loaf and 6 muffins (which Cooper wanted to deliver to our sweet neighbours who ALWAYS cook delicious snacks for us!) to which I added Coconut- it is simply divine, and I recommend NOT waiting to devour it until it cools- the melting Choc. Chips will melt your heart!!!

And an update on Brookie's health- she still feels like this:( Poor baby girl!

So it got a little "windy" last night.......

2009-02-11T19:09:00.005-06:00

We weren't too sure how the windows were going to hold up last night in the 'hurricane-like' winds that blew through South Texas, with all the bending and rippling, but the funniest thing is, I had a dream that this EXACT thing happened, .....although in my dream it actually hit our house!!!

Sorry Cooper and Brooklyn, looks like we have a little repair job to do!!!

And little Brookie is on the mend after a serious bout with the Flu('B', Cooper got 'A'??), an ear infection and conjunctivitis!! And then she fell asleep during dinner- bless her heart she was in the middle of trying to tell me something with that little pointer finger.

Flu Bugs & PlayDoh

2009-02-05T11:17:00.003-06:00

We have been hit by the old mighty "flu bug" ....it seems we have been swarmed by many bugs as of late, and this one is hopefully ready to fly away......
We've been keeping busy watching "Space Buddies", coloring, drinking 'alot' of fluids, eating yummy orange slices, making PlayDoh creations , and just generally getting to snuggle, have lots of leisurely naps(which my rapid heart beat is loving- which my unwanted visit to a Cardiologist reccommended!).....
All in all it's been a pretty great week, despite the illness's around, so we have alot to be Thankful for!

What to do on an icy day in Texas~

2009-01-29T08:04:00.004-06:00

Today was supposed to be an "ice day" which means everything pretty much shuts down, no school, everyone late for work because of the 'horrid' driving conditions! Let's just say that as of 11 am it was 58 degrees and rising!!! HAH!!! These 'Tough Texans' need to spend a winter up north!!!

Not quite sure when kids start to develop super-duper imagination powers, but lately, every morning, Cooper wakes up to tell us about how "he saw Deer last night" which is followed by our questioning, "where?"
"Across the street at "BWIAN'S house- I shot a Deer last night"......and then we have to ask where he is hiding all these carcasses, cause he shoots one down almost every evening in his sleep!!!
"I put them in Dadd-a's fruck!(that's a truck!)" GROSS!!!!

Today we did manage to entertain ourselves, in fact, while I was doing laundry(my new found love) I happened to sneak up on Brooklyn 'reading' to her dolls, and then whipping them up a batch of "bweakfast" SO CUTE!!!

Then I walked in on Cooper & Brooklyn in the Library giving each other 'adjustments'! Who needs a professional anyway?

Can I get a.... "wah wah"?

2009-01-26T20:36:00.004-06:00

Super excitement at the Kennell household this past weekend......

First of all , James finally convinced us that Cooper's "Bo Bo" hairdue( *see below*)

was in need of a serious trimmy-trim, so we ran off to Fantastic Sam's(Big Pimpin'.......) and for $9.99 we got a little version of Daddy!!! Cooper looks so cute, and when he woke up from his nap today and had hair sticking out everywhere, James tried to pat it down with water, and Cooper piped up"No DAD, it's supposed to stick up like that- just like YOURS!!!" So sweet!!!

And second of all, we FINALLY broke down and invested in a front-load Washer & Dryer set! Hell, ya! We are so excited(as is our checkbook & Costco), and I did about 6 loads of sweet smelling and 'artfully' dried clothing and towels, and really couldn't be happier! (and don't knock it that we are about 5 years behind the rest of North America in the purchase of these slammin' appliances!)

It's all about the little things in life, people, and I am starting to realize just HOW much these things mean!
(Brooklyn- just because she can)

And just how pathetic my self-control was with that last batch of Gluten-FULL Brownies.........

It can't ALL be bad......

2009-01-21T19:03:00.007-06:00

SO the beginning of this year has kind of snuck up on me with the impact of a DUMP-truck, partially my fault, and the rest must be really bad 'karma' cause all I know is every single fortune cookie i've opened in the past 6 months has been sending 'great fortune & riches' my way! Well, it hasn't yet turned out that way!

On the heels of a great friend of mine's blog, I thought it was only fair to post my challenges as of late, cause I know exactly how she is feeling, and what kind of friend's would we be to act as if everything was perfect? Of course, I had originally chosen not to 'air' my bad streak of luck, but the more I thought about it, the funnier it got! And who doesn't like a great chuckle at someone else's expense....come on, seriously now, you KNOW you do!

First off, we had been planning on getting rid of my 'lemon' of a vehicle for a LONG time now, and between having our 2nd child, starting the building of our home, closing on our home, and doing some travelling in between, it just hadn't been our priority! Well, when the good ol' Discovery decided to throw me it's final blow(we typically have had to deal with one every 6 months or so, with this fine piece of **** engineering), I figured a little friendly visit to the Service Department wouldn't do it any harm, right? Well, $4800 of an estimate for repairs LATER, (after unloading $2000 last month for new Brakes), we decided it was time to say "adios" to our headache! And you know how much $Land Rover$ prides itself on their own 4-yr old vehicle? A whoppin' $1000 as-is! YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT! Or we could choose the option to have it fixed(?) and get $5000 as a trade-in? What? OK- if you even bothered to do the Math on this silly thing, it's a perfect lose/lose situation!!!

Well, we just told them to 'shove it' and decided to find some other poor schmoe to unload it on! And Toyota came to the rescue! As always, they are an upstanding, honest establishment and I was blessed to get a *better* trade in(albeit, still upside-down), and found ourselves a beautiful Sequoia! More room, MUCH better sound, a smoother drive, Great Customer Service, better EVERYTHING!!!!

Next, came my blood tests that I was supposed to have had MONTHS ago, after trying my detox diet and supplements, and that was back in September! Well, I'd been busy and kept putting it off until I couldn't any longer...Turns out my RA# was the same(no change) and I now had what seems to be a thyroid issue! YIPPEE!!!! And why haven't I mentioned this *stunner* before! Well, because NO ONE wants to hear someone whining about their health issues(which are mostly Gluten diet-related, and apparently over 1/2 the popluation has some sort of Thyroid disorder and just doesn't know about it!-OK that made me feel a little better), but I seriously just LIVE to eat good food, like breads, pastas, chips, cookies, really anything processed or with refined sugars!!!!And I have realized I start to nibble on this crap when I am either 1. stressed, 2. bored, 3. tired.......so I have had to totally redirect my focus elsewhere which has been extremely difficult for me!!!I have also re-developed a 'friendship' with a great book (thanks to one of my cousins )that will hopefully help me kick these auto-immune/emotional "bad boys" to the curb! This lady is truly amazing, and everything I have issues with seems to point to my lack of "letting old things go".......hmmmm..........

You never really know how important appliances are until they go *kaput* , die, flicker away...and that is what is happening with our dryer!!! Oh my goodness, I probably use this thing, at least 3 x a day, on a good day, so when it decided to lose it's heat and suction(never knew there was suction on a dryer, but you really notice when the lint is EVERYWHERE it's not supposed to be:( I have even made the long treck(~2 miles) to use the Clinic dryer to finish loads, and then get there too late in the morning to find one of the staff has had to fold our 'unmentionables' ! Why then, you ask, are we procrastinating(this is starting to become our theme) on the purchase of a new one? Because there are SO many out there- where does one start? Seriously, at this point, if any of you out there have a washer/dryer you LOVE and would reccommend, PLEASE do ,and leave me a comment! You know how I just hate to internet search for practical items!!!

To top off all of this craziness this month, today I went to the Grocery store with a list almost 2 weeks long, and after 1 1/2 hours of roaming up and down the aisles, chasing the kids, buying icee's, hiding slightly bitten apples back in their bags, we get to the checkout, which takes another 10 minutes or so it seems, while the young cashier(bless her heart) tries to make small talk with my now-overly-tired kids who are getting crankier by the second, and I gently try to coax her along in her scanning technique, do we get to the end of it all, and ..........Card Declined!
What the freak? You have GOT to be kidding me! Not only do I KNOW that there is money in this account, I KNOW there is money in this account cause we JUST put more in!!! We swipe the darn thing over, and over, and over, (kids now SCA-REAMING at me), with the same poor result, until I look back and notice 3 very impatient customers behind me with that LOOK!!! I just backed down and couldn't do a thing, cause we aren't allowed to carry our credit card for these type of dire emergencies, cause DAVE RAMSEY wouldn't approve and a bored, stay-at-home, shopping-deprived mommy cannot be trusted:)! (I'm on that budget too, Hailers!) So anyway, I left the store empty handed, extremely embarassed, a total waste-of- my-time-and-seriously-already-lacking-energy, and grocery-less, but both kids passed out the minute they hit their car seats! At least I had a quiet ride home so I was able to call the bank and give them a what for!! But I didn't cause quite honestly, I was DONE!!!!No more energy, and the silence was kind of nice!!

So for round 2 , I'll choose a different HEB, and will be going by myself! And then there is always Date Night to look forward to tomorrow! I LOVE that we have found ourselves a guaranteed babysitter every Thursday night!

I DESERVE it, don't you think?

We're BACK!!!!

2009-01-19T09:33:00.004-06:00

We've had a shortage of blog -worthy details in the past couple of weeks, ever since Papa, Oma, & Uncle Nathan went back home, we have been dealing with colds, sinuses, and flu's going back and forth between kids, and so there has been alot of lounging, Dr. visits, drinking, eating, lounging, resting....you get the picture!!!
We just got back from a really fun Coast trip with some friends of ours, and even though it was "super-cold" (5o degrees at the BEACH is COLD!!!!), James got to do some fishing, the kids got to play at the beach, and we got to have some yummy vacation-food(stuff NOT in my G-free diet!)- so all in all , we had a great time! And 'smarty-pants' forgot the camera battery charger, so I literally had only 5 minutes of "snapping time" at the beach- but caught most of the fun!

But it's also great to be home, and today we get to celebrate our Golden 's 6th Birthday! So Cooper has instructed that we go to blow up some balloons for Parker, and maybe get her a new 'ball'!!! Here's to our first 'baby'- Love you Parks!!!

2009-01-01T18:26:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

2008-12-29T13:26:00.004-06:00

I am the first to admit that a trip to the 'Museum' is about as exciting to me as getting a tooth pulled, but since the Grandparents are in town, we have a multitude of places to go and things to see, and we decided to brave the "Institute of Texan Cultures". James has always wanted to go, and it seemed like a logical thing to have the Canadians experience, plus we got to walk the San Antonio Riverwalk and then gorged at the 'Rainforest Cafe'!( And by the way, the 'every 30 minute' light show scared the crap out of poor little Brookie- Cooper on the other hand couldn't get enough of it! And for me, the Margarita made it all worth while:))

A little shout out!!!

2008-12-19T16:33:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to one of my Best-est friends(and longest TRUE friends!)

I just LOVE this girl and she constantly inspires me to be a better mother, cook, friend, photographer, wife, person....you name it! Jaimers holds the bar up really high- exactly what you would expect the perfect 'Girl' to be!!! From the time I met her, in College, she already had rubbed shoulders with Sports Celebrities, Rock Stars, Congress, ......the list goes on and on- And yet she always remains humble (a quality I SO respect and value)!

Not only is Jaimers BEAUTIFUL, but she has a heart of gold, a rockin' body, is majorly artistically/photographically/musically talented, a 'perfect' homemaker, fantastic wife & mother, ....I mean really I could go on forever! I love this girl, and can't wait till our next Girls trip!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Darling!

(And since this post is SO late- due to my internet going in and out ALL stinkin day- I hereby grant Jamie and ALL- WEEKEND CELEBRATION!!! Take it away, Chad!!!!:)

A little (big) early Christmas Gift!!!

2008-12-18T13:48:00.003-06:00

OK- I can hardly contain myself right now, and I am NOT one to brag, hate to draw attention to myself, was ALWAYS taught from a young age to "be humble" .....but holy freakin' eh!!!!!!
James, Brooklyn and I had just returned from Cooper's Preschool Christmas concert and lunch, and had a few minutes to kill at the house, so we decided to put some presents under the tree in the front room that had just arrived from Canada...................

and when I turned the corner.........

I saw this.........................................

My husband has been preoccupied, sneaking away to 'go shopping' (which is wildly hilarious, because there is NOTHING about shopping that he likes), on quiet strange phone calls, pretty much driving me nuts..................and here, all along, he has been secretly & strategically staging out what could possibly be the most 'Perfect' Christmas gift of all time!!!!!

Thank you SO much James, my sweetheart-of-a-husband from the 'bottom of every crevice of my heart'!!! I also want to publicly apologize to my husband for cursing his name every time Cooper & Brooklyn were driving me nuts ALL day long, having to bathe, feed, read stories, brush teeth, etc. all by myself(because you were out being a Perfect Santa Claus)!!!!

I can't WAIT to become re-aquainted with my LOVE of music, and one day, hopefully soon, be able to teach my children!!! (Looks like Brooklyn is already attached, too!)

2008-12-14T07:39:00.003-06:00

Christmas has come SO quickly this year, and the kids are just loving it(well, all except Mr. Santa Claus!)- especially the TREE!!! Every morning Cooper 'runs' to the tree and shouts, 'Is it Tree-time presents -time yet, Mommmmmmm? And then proceeds to sit down , pull out a present onto his lap, and grin up at me!!! He's so sweet, and I love how simple and exciting their day's are!!! Oh to be a kid again!!!!

And this is a 'Play-doh" birthday cake he made for me, song and all- it looks very yummy, don't you think?(And no, it's not my birthday, but this kid loves Birthdays, and cake, and presents, and yah, he kind if takes after his Mommy!) Really - any excuse to celebrate!!!

Last weekend, Aunt Ash watched the kids for our date night, and Brooklyn got her fingernails painted for the 1st time- and she is officially a girly-girl, and checks them out every chance she gets!!!
And have I mentioned yet how MUCH my kids LOVE apples? We eat about a bag a day- I guess I shouldn't complain, it's healthy, but yowza's.........
And here's a little picture of Cooper and his best little girlfriend Gabby- we got to hang out for a while in Spring while Mommy caught up on Dental CEU's- miss these guys and wished we lived a whole lot closer!!!

Happy Birthday MOM!!!!

2008-12-11T07:41:00.003-06:00

Today is a very special day! My Mom is celebrating a very special birthday, and as a present to her, my Dad has swept her off to Palm Springs, CA for a relaxing vacay, including Golf, Tennis, Dining & (maybe) a little shopping!

My Mom is constantly doing for others, and rarely takes the time out for herself, so I am wishing her the most relaxing, rejuvenating time for herself (& you too, Dad!) which means not worrying about the Farm, our sweet brother Nathan(who is probably loving his time @ work, and getting to spend the night with the twins, Ria & Gabe, and little Elise!!!), and anything else that keeps her hopping 24/7!

Have a Fantastic Day Mom- we love you and can't wait to see you soon!!!

(Our Mom, and her 'sweetheart' son Nathan(my little brother & Big Uncle to Cooper & Brooklyn), dancing together at his Redi Christmas Party)

Love,
Raimey, James, Cooper & Brooklyn K!

2008-12-10T16:32:00.002-06:00

We officially have snow in Texas!!!!

Okay, really it melted about 2 hours later, but it made me think of home!!!!

No SANTA this year!

2008-12-09T14:29:00.002-06:00

This has been the funniest year ever trying to get Christmas pictures with Santa, and no matter WHERE we go to see him, we get the same responses!!!!
Check this out:

Cooper, Mason & I at the 'Palladium' Santa- Coop's NOT having it!

And as for Brooklyn, .....um, yeah!!!!!

And their amazing repeat performance last night at the Bruce's "Santa Claus Party"

I am hoping for better results next year............

Single Mommy!

2008-12-01T20:37:00.004-06:00

Well, we had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday Dinner with family and friends, and then, like a 'gun' went off, the guys headed off to the Coast for their yearly fishing trip!!(OK, truly it happens monthly, but this was a special occasion!)

And I thought that I wouldn't let this stop me from enjoying MY holiday, so I got the kids off to bed early, and told them we were going to get up early and go SHOPPING!

That's right folks, I decided to do 'Black Friday' with a 3 year old & an 18-month old!!! Yes, I have officially gone CRAZY!!!! And I have to admit that I am just not one of those people who can sit still and be home all day! I am ALWAYS on the go with the kids, every day, and if we are holed up for more than 1/2 a day, I go insane! Anyway, It (Black Friday)was horrible, the lines were long, and there was NO sensitivity/sympathy for a poor single parent with 2 hyper little kids!! BUT- we found some great stuff and feel completely satisfied!(albiet, MOM-stuff like Xmas ornaments, kids clothes, a Crock Pot9never have one, and it's my new LOVE!)

Saturday would have been a 'prime' day for sleeping in and nursing our 'hanging on' colds, but Cooper wouldn't have any part of it! I swear the sun had barely reared it's ugly head, when I heard a sweet little voice in my ear....."Momma....it's not DARK anymore!" And so the day began........E*A*R*L*Y!!

Oh, and then he decided to paint his nails, and I got to clean up 'Pansy' Pink ALL over the bathroom! Fun Times!

Well, I am about to experience 'single mom-hood' again this weekend, as James is off to chilly Pittsburg for a Chiropractic Seminar! I vaguely remember the days when I got to take off work, fly off to all sorts of destinations with my hubby and enjoy shopping, lounging by the pool, dinners out with worldly Dr's, great conversation.....well, you can see where I am going with this. NOWHERE!!! That's right! Those days are officially over, and now I get to stay home and play lego, watch 'backyardigans', and bake cookies.......and that's exactly where I want to be:)

Last weekend's Coast trip!

2008-11-23T10:47:00.007-06:00

And I am way behind on my posting, and getting photos together....thank goodness i didn't take that JOB!
We had a blast at the coast last weekend, alone on the COLD beach, fun with a crab, some fishing fun, Fish Fry with Uncle's Danny, Pat, Rico, Wally, and cousin Chandler! YUM YUM!!! Great times as always, and a little R&R for Daddy!!!

Outdoors!

2008-11-23T10:37:00.003-06:00

Love taking the kids outside first thing in the morning(as you can tell with Jammies still on, and breakfast remnants!)- today is overcast , and looks like we may get a little rain shower! And 61 degrees is MY kind if temperature!!!!
And if you're wondering ....yes, that's an ever-present 'binkie' that HAS to be disposed of.....and Cooper's new best friend, 'Penquin', and he goes with us everywhere:)

2008-11-12T20:54:00.004-06:00

I love that when we are in touch with the Universe, many exciting things begin to happen!
Last week, during the kids' Dental cleanings, I suddenly felt that 'Dental Bug' bite, and next thing I knew I was being offered to drop off my resume, and to come in and talk to the Dentist's.....and then the next day, I get a call from a friend of mine, at her *new* office, that they are looking for a part--time Hygienist......

well, i took this as a sign of wonderful things to come, and thought that if something were to open up in the 'nanny/babysitting' area for Brooklyn(as Cooper's in preschool those 2 days already) it would be my sign from God that I was ready to get back to work, and have some Mommy/adult time that I have so dearly missed!!!

I got on the phone and texted/called/emailed everyone I knew to find a sitter for Brooklyn and get some after school care for Cooper, and everything was really falling into place! I started to whip out a resume, with some help & guidance of some near and dear Hygiene friends who have mostly remained Full-time hygienists while being Mother's too!! Getting "references" and pay scale averages remained my top priority for the next few days, and things just seemed to be lining up perfectly!

My interview was scheduled for this Thursday afternoon, and I was starting to get those butterflies in my stomach- i haven't interviewed in almost 8 YEARS!! When a call from a friend today verified a Sitter for Brooklyn....my heart STOPPED!!!!!
The kids were out in the yard, I could hear them laughing, playing, and could hear the dogs barking along.......

I ran out the front door to see what they were up to, when I saw the most 'Beautiful" sight I had ever seen........Both kids were riding 'together' (Cooper driving, and Brooklyn the passenger) on his little 4-wheeler revving up as they passed me, circling me, laughing, and waving.....it was like time had stopped for that moment, and everything was in slow motion and I couldn't hear a sound! That's about the time when my eyes filled up with tears (as they are right this very moment) & I realized that I am on this Earth to be these little angel's Mommy! And at that very moment i knew what i had to do!

I called the office back, told them that this was just not the right time for me, and that I had a very important job to fulfill, and for now that focus would have to be on my children! They were so supportive and told me that whenever I felt that the time was right, that they would love to hear from me!!!

What a relief!!! I had finally taken a step toward confronting my fears of going back to work, and feeling like something was missing in my life, when I discovered that all I really needed or ever wanted was right here, in FRONT of me!!! And although I will never make it to the interview tomorrow, i know in my heart that this is the right job for me!

Of course, nothing about being a SAHM is perfect or easy, or hey, even down-right simple at any given time, but not more than 20 minutes after relinquishing a chance at a fantastic paying, twice weekly get-away from mommy frustrations do I find myself at the UPS counter(yep , that one) trying to mail off a couple Office packages as my lovely daughter is flinging Birthday/sympathy/New Baby greeting cards off of 2 twirling racks into the air with abandon, and my son is grabbing all the counter pens and tucking them ever so discretely into his pant pockets!!

I am still checking myself for a fever...........

Pampers ROCK!!!

2008-11-07T17:29:00.002-06:00

So I was entirely too tired to be doing any sort of laundry, but after a long day at the office, kids dental cleanings(not well received by Brooklyn Bear who is having trouble with teething canines), we were about to lay down for a nap.
Only Brookie wasn't having it, and finally I had to come to her rescue only to find that she had a massive cra* all over herself and the crib sheets(Dentists make her nervous apparently), so I had no choice but to disrobe her, change her, and pull the crib apart, and proceeded to throw the mess in the wash!!!
45 minutes later, we had some *sweet* smelling laundry, and mommy realized that she had thrown the diaper in as well :)
Beautiful, and I must say that Pampers held up VERY well!!!

Wanna win something? I've been lucky lately.....

2008-11-03T17:10:00.000-06:00

Cooper's 3rd Birthday Party!!!

2008-10-31T17:09:00.002-05:00

Here is a slideshow of photos from Cooper's very successful party! No stress, no chaos, just a lot of fun had by all!!!! Enjoy!!!

Brianne....eat your heart out!!!

2008-10-31T15:53:00.008-05:00

Just a little 'shout-out' to my little cuz, Brianne, who mercilessly makes fun of my popcorn ball making skills!!! So there was this 1 incident, like, 17 years ago,while babysitting(not sure why I was boiling hot syrup on a stove with 3 toddlers, but this particular trial went sour really fast! But I am proud to say that, 17 years later, I have totally redeemed myself!!!!
Happy Halloween!!

And a few pics of our 'trick-or-treaters!!!'

Cooper chose to be a Shark, because really, what else is there to be? A slight 'Sea' theme seems to be hovering over his world lately!!!
And little Miss Brooklyn has this perfect 'John Wayne' swagger that no one can deny, so we thought it was fitting to throw her in some cowgirl garb! And though I have never been a "western" girl, I am slowly starting to swing to that side, I mean come on, take a look at those darling red boots!

Guess Who's 3!!!!!!!!

2008-10-28T07:13:00.003-05:00

Our little prince is 3 today! We can't believe how fast the time has gone, it seems like just yesterday we were taking this little stinker home from the Hospital!!! Cooper , you have been SUCH a Blessing in our lives, kept us hopping, let us experience all kinds of emotions, made us laugh, cry (tears of Joy!!!!) and generally just enriched our lives! We waited a long time for our little sweetheart and we can't wait to continue to see you do wonderful things!!! Even Grandpa George thought you would make a great American President one day(but with your mommies Nationality, you may have a slight road block!!!!), and we think he's right!! Heck, you'd get our vote NOW!!!!
Have a Wonderful 3rd Birthday- WE LOVE YOU- and can't wait to see what you pick for your Birthday Dinner:)

2008-10-26T07:50:00.005-05:00

(James' Longhorn "german chocolate" Birthday cake- which has left us all STILL salivating!)

(Happy Birthday, Uncle James!This was definitely the BEST singing ever!)

(Wednesday afternoon, a part of our super huge, old Oak tree just decided it was ready to lose a big-a** limb, so we (James & Brian) chopped it up into itty, bitty pieces to be able to haul the heavy sucker off, but not before Cooper was able to climb all over it!)

(Cooper got involved in the hauling off of the limbs, tying them on by 'himself'!!!)

(And Brooklyn just decided that the lawn had better be mowed since the grass, was 'SOOOOOOOOO high'(she said!))

Bad Luck!!!

2008-10-23T18:41:00.002-05:00

Okay, so a black cat MUST be following me VERY closely, cause I have just had a crazy string of bad luck! And just when I finally get the "powder bath" mirror, stained, sprayed, and ready to hang, and call our handyman(not James, I assure you)- I literally drive RIGHT over it as I am parking in the garage!!! My fault, of course, since I was working on it RIGHT next to my car on a big 'ol piece of cardboard box!! So.......that's 7 years, even if I didn't drop it?!?!?

Hopefully poor little Cooper's party will not be affected by this dark cloud....start blowing happy dust my way, and while you're at it, I need ideas for 'Nemo' themed games!!!!! STAT!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-10-19T14:11:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my 35 year old sweetheart, James! Love you so much- enjoy your day!!!!

I am a WINNER!!!!

2008-10-17T09:07:00.006-05:00

OK- I never win anything!(and that's why I stayed away from the casino in Vegas!), but low and behold, my perseverance has paid off in a super BIG way!!!! She is one of the most talented Photographers I have EVER laid eyes on, and just happens to be one of my 'best-est friends' (who also happens to be a budding phot-og!) cousin! How's that for luck!!! YAY for contests!

(And it could not have come at a better time, since the IRS decided they didn't like us this year!)

check this out!

then here

Giving Thanks Canadian-Style!

2008-10-15T10:31:00.016-05:00

Since I am CANADIAN, I thought that I would post a little 'Thanks'(a few days late! since we celebrate this Holiday in October up there!) for all the things I have & LOVE!(and not in any particular order!)

1. My wonderful husband(whose about to have a Birthday!)

2. Our beautiful children!

3. Family

4. Our beautiful home!

5. Boerne Watermark Church!

6. The BEST neighbors anyone could ask for! And since I couldn't get UT tickets this Saturday for James' Bday, Brian is taking him, tailgating and all!!! And ALL!!!

7. Our cleaning lady, Rosa!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her! And our sweet smelling house!

8. Fridays- 'My' day to do mommy things, get my hair done, manicures, pedicures, grocery shopping......now that Daddy takes this day off! BRILLIANT!!!

9. Laser Hair Removal........don't knock it till you've tried it!

10. My new love for reading!

11. These.....

12. and THESE......

13. Great friends!

14. My Camera!!!!!!!!

Playing Catch up!

2008-10-09T19:31:00.006-05:00

There just isn't anything like a great CEU(continuing education class) in the middle of the week!!!
First of all, i have procrastinated beyond belief and have 12 hours to receive in 1 month, so i have to get my tail in gear....it's been a very busy year, but really, i have no good excuses! So you get what you pay for.....and I think my fee was a little high!
So it started out as an interesting enough topic, 'Depression, Heart Disease, & Stroke'! Yep, it hit a little too close to home(with my mother-in-law's passing in July), and I thought it would be a great class to brush up on, fill my requirements for my license, and to also learn something new!
Well, gall-dang it, but didn't the most amuzing, beauty-challenged, over weight, dietician sit RIGHT in front of me,(I have MAJOR A.D.D. at these functions- I mean come on, who doesn't?) and let me tell you this girl had a SPREAD!!! Seriously! She had lined up a stash of food that would feed a small army(uh HUH!) including a granola bar, kit kat's, apple, pretzel bag, a Route-44 soda, Cheese Nips(I think that's what they're called), Lay's, suckers, and that bowl of candy that they supply for EVERY table was right in front of her!!! All kidding aside, this poor lady was a dietician but had NO idea of how to practice what she preached, and i am sorry, call me a snob, but I would NOT feel comfortable taking 'Nutrition' reccomendations from this fool! Of course she asked every question in the book, and was really concerned about her patients 'carbohydrate' intake!!! NO KIDDING!!!!
I made it through the 6 hour feat, without so much as a nod-off, so i was pleasantly surprised! (Plus, my College Dean was there, and this brilliant women strikes the fear into ANY of her former students with just the sound of her voice! But it was great to see her, and she still has that sparkle and sarcastic sense-of-humor!
Just thought i'd share a few more 'Canada' photos for y'all! We had such a great time, and really have a hard time leaving my special family! It's so hard to have our kids grow up away from their ONLY living grandparents, and our super cool Aunts, Uncles & Cousins.....we'll be back up there soon.......

Little miss deciding that maybe sipping on the last drops of 'Canadian' wasn't a great idea!

Cooper & Brooklyn behind the wheel at West Edmonton Mall Galaxyland!

Super Safe Cooper in Oma's car!

Sweet Ria & Uncle Clint!

Mommy & Brookie taking a stroll on the family farm!

Uncle Clint WAY too excited about turing 3-0!!!

Poor teething child lost weight up there cause she barely ate! But not to worry- baby got BACK!

Brookie & Daddy

Uncle Clint taking Cooper for a ride on the big Sprayer!

Grandpa's new truck!

Yep- in Canada you can do this too!!!

2 super WHITE chick on a bike!And yes- there is ALOT of sun up in Canada!

Just a few of the great guys in our family- hangin at the 'still!

Brooklyn & Oma picking apples- the kids got fresh bag-fuls almost every day!

Yum, Yum!

2008-10-07T22:23:00.002-05:00

OKAY!!!!! We have been home for ~3 days, and i am still getting us settled, doing TONS of laundry(which already was done before we packed and came home, except I do NOT trust the airport 'luggage guys' with their sweaty little hands all over my little munchkins clothing, not to mention -our"unmentionables!")

SO.......I have been crazy busy catching up at the office, doing the books, payroll, filing receipts, charts, supplies, gift cards, ...the list could go on f.o.r.e.v.e.r. and tomorrow my sweet sis-in-law will watch my kiddos while I get to spend the day in a cold sleepy hotel conference room, listening to some old, "wanna-be professor" ramble on about what he/she thinks is the most important Dental/Medical crap in the world, and yadda, yadda, yadda...... and I am attending this why? Because my Dental Hygiene license DEPENDS on it!!! And you never know when you might want to dig that sucker up out of the 'ol moving boxes(yes- I am not ashamed to say we still have some of those!)..........

But I promise to be back to blog, and then I'll be off in Austin this weekend, ALONE with my Hubby and his staff for another excitement filled weekend learning about all things CHIROPRACTIC!!! Actually , I really look forward to this one- and it's NOT just because we are going to be 'ALONE', together, in a hotel room for 2 WHOLE days (& nights!)

I am LOVING this idea...and gonna buy me some bars!

2008-09-30T09:31:00.002-05:00

Click here

Some more of Cananada.......

2008-09-27T16:48:00.009-05:00

There's nothing better than being back in your home town, wallowing in the tasty foods treats of your childhood......yes, i'm definitely a wallower........

We've also been busy Golfing, Dining, getting adjustments with Dr. Ron, playing with cousins, riding 4-wheelers, getting rides on tractors, playing balloon tennis. you name it, we are Go..Go...Go....

(Dee Dee is loving these coffee creamers!)

(sweet little Elise is the BEST baby ever- she is alway smiling! Kind if makes you want another....)

(Our super Cooper in his wedding attire- Sharp little dresser!)

And we finally got out to celebrate our Anniversary and were treated to a yummy dinner @ Earl's by Clint & Robin!! Then, we 'girls' somehow got cheated out of a Brad Pitt movie, and we all ended up at the Casino- and I kept things entertaining by almost getting arrested for carrying my camera- Fun Times, baby, Fun Times......

And a personal message for my sassy brother, Clinker-poo......."is there Grain in 'da Bin, or Oil in 'da Drum........." you KNOW what i'm talking about......next line is yours!

2008-09-25T18:54:00.005-05:00

(Cooper & Brooklyn, who actually behaved VERY well at the wedding- thank goodness, casue I was prepared to be sweating bullets!)

(My gorgeous sis-in-law Jill, and my cute brother, Reed!(with an equally cute 'flower arrangement growing out of his head!))

(All 5 grandkids in the bathtub, apparently not wanting to look at the camera- not 1 of them!)

SO......

We have alot to blog about since we have been here in Canada, my home Country, for a 2 week vacation! First of all, our 7 year wedding Anniversary came and went on the 19th of this month!We haven't been ablt to celebrate it yet, so WATCH OUT!!!! Instead we got to attend my youngest brother, Reed's, wedding rehearsal dinner, and then the wedding on Saturday!
I am proud to announce my new sis-in-law, Jill! She is adorable, keeps Reed in line, and is the sweetest girl I think I have ever met! I am so happy that she is part of our family, and I think that they'll make the cutest babies- EVER!!!

And since no trip to Edmonton would be complete without a visit to the West Edmonton Mall, we met my brother & sis-in-law(Clint & Robin) and their darling children at Galaxyland, and then did a little((a LOT of!!!!)damage at Lululemon(One of Canada's greatest exports EVER!!!), Please Mum(for the kids), and Sport Chek(for new running shoes for mommy, Basketball shoes for daddy, and a super cute set of golf clubs for Cooper!)

Since heading back to Oma & Grandpa's house, we have golfed, been eating like kings, visited with great Grandma 'Goose' and Grandpa 'George', watched movies, talked Politics & Finances(the 2nd one-BORING!!!!), and generally just watched all the grandkids get to know each other again!(in and & out of the bath!)

Since I have been put on the Super, Duper-RESTRICTIVE DIET, I have been failing miserably. I told my Dr. that I would be at my brothers wedding and their was no way they were going to serve me vegetarian, gluten-free fare, so he gave me permission for '1' cheat day- well, I have gone well beyond that, in fact I made it only to the 1/2 way mark of the Detox, which is Day 11- when I can finally add Chicken & Fish to my Vegetables & Fruits, and let's just say that I have added pasta, potato chips, wine, Tim Horton's coffee, slurpees, sour keys(quite possibly the best candy- EVER!!), popcorn, crackers......Basically, this list could go on FOREVER......and let's be reminded that I am officially allergic to:

1. Coffee

2. Wheat

3. Gluten

4. Chocolate

5. MSG

AND.........

6. Dog hair

OK- so everything I LOVE in life, I have to keep a safe distance from in order to avoid feeling really crappy, and decrease my RA symptoms! So as you can imagine I was extremel;y grumpoy the first few days, but as much as i hate to admit it, I DO feel better(or, DID, before I cheated !)

******(Since I left my USB connector in Texas, I am borrowing photos from my mom until I can upload my own:)

Canada....here we come!

2008-09-17T17:51:00.002-05:00

Goin' on a little vacay to Canada.....my home country, to see my littlest brother Reed get married!!! Oh yeah, and we'll be eating at Timmy's, Earls, and maybe crunching on some Old Dutch Potato Chips(if my Dr. will approve!) Hope they are serving Gluten-free fare at this shin-dig, or i'm comin' home HUNGRY!!!!

More to come.........

Happy Birthday Hailers!!!

2008-09-12T21:40:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that a VERY special friend of mine is celebrating her Birthday today, and because I am such a great pal, I will not reveal Hailey's age, only to say that she is younger & more beautiful than I could ever hope to be, a fantastic wife & mother, super-duper exerciser extraordinare, SERIOUSLY cannot sit still and when not running a marathon or triathalon, you can find her training for her Pilates certification, baking some home-made bread, rolling out some Sushi(although she really doesn't LOVE it yet!), grilling up some yummy seafood dish(doesn't like that either), whipping up a scrumptious cake for one of her children's birthday's, .....the list goes on and on!
I met the lovely Mrs. Babcock over 10 years ago, and she is still one of the Sweetest, Kindest, & most Gorgeous girls I have ever met, and I am so proud of all that she has accomplished, and equally as proud of all the accomplishments that are sure to come!
This is one kick-*ss girlfriend, I love her, and am so glad that we got to finally spend some much needed time together with all our buddies in Vegas!!!!(and I personally thank her for busting my butt about my seriously lacking blogging skills- I'm gonna work on it, girlfriend!!!)
Hope that you have a Fabulous Birthday Hailey- have a blast,relax, be spoiled, and put your running shoes away for just 1 day!!!!!!

Best 6 Days of my Life!!!!

2008-09-10T08:46:00.006-05:00

First of all, I would like to thank ALL the great friends and family that took part in probably the 'most amazing 6 days of my life'! Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better group of people do 'do life' with!!!

Last Thursday, we had a going away party for our great friends - the Blessings-(yes, they have the most amazing and fitting last name!). They have a wonderful opportunity up in Dallas and are sadly leaving our community, but we have been so blessed to have them in our lives and to have had so many great memories with them, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this awesome couple! We love you Cliff & Allison- and we'll be visiting SOON!!!

Then, EARLY Friday morning , I set out for the trip of the century with 4 awesome girls- 3 of which I have known for 10-12 years, and 1 that I had the awesome pleasure of meeting and starting a new relationship with!!!! We hadn't seen each other in over 7 years, and when we met at the Vegas airport, it was like NO time had passed!!!! Each one of these girls is SUPER special to me, had the opportunity to learn SO much from each of them, and enjoyed lounging, eating, drinks by the pool, shopping, Indian Leg-wrestling, and visiting a certain 'specialty' store!

Each of them has her own special sparkle, whether it be a)a super sweet best friend who would do anything for anyone, can superhuman 'gleeking' powers & has an amazing energy and zest for life beyond compare,b) a super-stylish, hel-uv-a-shopper, genetically & intellectually blessed mom with amazing photography & writing skills, c) a fitness & Pilates fanatic, energy-filled, beautiful mom with superb eyelash-attaching skills, all while sharing my love for Lululemon and a d) gorgeous, up-for-anything, rockin' girl with a fantastic heart, and shares my love of the 'techno/dance' genre(FINALLY!!!)...... I mean seriously, how LUCKY am I?

More delicious photos here

We had an amazing time catching up on the past 10 years, and they put up with my 'less than stellar energy'(due to a slight time change & sad, but true, recent medical diagnosis ) and listened to me ramble on about my sweet children who I have never left at home before! I mean all these girls are so special to me, and have inspired me to start exercising again, possibly even Pilates certified(a brain wave in the airport), start reading ( on to 'the Alchemist' already, Jaimers), REAL books- for the first time since Cooper was born, to shop 'smarter', fix my diet, and to live each and every day to the fullest, and helped me to realize what an amazing husband & 2 children I have( cause sometimes you can get too stressed, busy and bogged down to really "see")! And best of all- I came home refreshed & my sweet hubby finally realizes what a job a Stay-at-Home Mom endures every single day(he was AMAZED that he wasn't able to just sit down and relax, and had something to do every single minute from the time they woke up to the time their precious little heads hit the pillow!)(And then I discussed the possibility of a new car, since when I finally landed after being re-routed to Austin to re-fuel due to a plane that ran off the SA runway, I got to the Parking Lot and found my P.O.S. with a dead battery!)

Thanks to each and every one of you, and I can't wait till our next Adventure!

Cooper's 1st Day of Preschool!

2008-09-04T22:23:00.003-05:00

So, today was Cooper's 1st Day of Preschool, and our sweet little boy, got up early, had 'another' bubble bath, ate his breakfast, woke up his sister, got dressed, and even helped to pack his school bag, and pick out fruit for his lunch!

Cheesy-grin Cooper- singing "Backyardigaaaaaans" over, and over while wolfing down waffles, Apple Juice and a Banana....

400th picture I took of him at the door, cause I had a weird setting on the camera, it wouldn't focus properly, and then he wouldn't look at ME!!!! Too much going on across the street with his best buddy Brian preparing to go camping with his kiddos in New Mexico!

Best picture ended up being taken in B&W, and notice sweet little Brookie at the window!!!

Cooper & Daddy (and Cooper still apparently singing his way to class.....)

Cooper & Mommy(with extra chins, and her big boy still singin' away.....)

The day went really well, he had a blast, and we couldn't really ask for a better teacher....Aunt Michelle!!!!!

YAY for Cooper! SO proud of you Buddy- Daddy's taking you golfing this weekend, and maybe even to Miss Barbie's house to go Fishing!!! You earned it!!!!

And Mommy is of to Vegas for a much needed, realxing, shopping infested, lounging required Girl-fest with some of her dearest, bestest friends in the WHOLE world!!! More to come........

Not so 'flattered'........

2008-08-26T10:48:00.007-05:00

Okay, so on the heel's of Jamie's post, (this handbag is GORGEOUS!!!), I commented on my own moniker- being named after a Canadian Football player, Dave 'Raimey', is pretty cool- however, even cooler is this Urban Dictionary description of my name:

O.......K..........!!!!

And you can find yours HERE!
(F.Y.I.- my "offsprings" name descriptions were not as flattering, therefore they will not be noted here:))

And We're Off.........!

2008-08-09T18:46:00.002-05:00

Today is the day that my wish has come true! Brooklyn took 10 steps, which I say is WELL on her way to walking! Hallelujah!!! This hustler and bustler weighed an astounding 28 pounds at her Dr. visit yesterday, but that is offset by her high stature- 33 inches tall!!!! Yowzers- she can practically fit in all Cooper's clothing, and wrestle with the best of them!!! We are so darn proud of our Sumo -baby, and SO glad that the hernia scare was just that- a scare! Poor baby just has weak tummy muscles, AKA- 'pooch'......ahhhhhh.....just like her Momma!!!
SO proud of you baby girl- you are growing up SO fast!!!
Love ya Deeds!

2008-08-06T15:53:00.002-05:00

Don't even know where to start on what could be named the 'crappiest' half week EVER!!!! Maybe I am just emotional(very possible), or slowly going crazy(also entirely possible), or maybe the Gods really have it out for me!
Just as I was handed out big "jazz hands"
they were ever so slightly ripped from my grasp today! For the last time!!!!
So let's see- I can barely remember Monday, cause I had been up early doing laundry before the kids woke up, had my coffee,( which is really great for my pseudo-arthritis I seem to be experiencing in my thumbs, knees and shoulders(along with that nagging chest/shoulder muscle sprain that hurts so much when I randomly feel like i have to BREATHE...) and then by the end of he long hot day that ensued, I found myself bathing & dressing the kids, brushing teeth(which is their LEAST favorite thing in the WORLD to do), reading stories, getting 'woody's'(those are woobies to Cooper, and yes, he has a 'little woody' and a 'big woody' and he needs them BOTH), sippies, and then reading more stories, etc, etc, and you'd think by 9:30 this could all be over, when I find a whirlwind of a mess in the Game Room that can't wait till tomorrow. So after all that, I still find myself washing dishes, putting away dishes, leftovers, more laundry , more cleaning, and where is James in all this , you ask? Yeppers- sittin' on the ol' couch-a-roni watching FOX freaking NEWS!!!
What the**&*%? I say? Must have had a really hard day, and hasn't been noticing me SLAVING away all evening.......and once I hear the logs being sawed, I am off to bed, ON MY OWN, and that's that!!!!

Day 2-Tuesday(for all of you that got lost in all that banter!)

Wake up early, great day, gonna take he kids to Y-land, get a much needed workout in, and drop by the office to deliver some supplies, and pick up the check book. And as usual , I get the 'what are you guys doing here?' from my husband, like we aren't really allowed into the Sacred Office which is Chiropractic!!! Ummmm- why not a friendly, 'hey babe- great to see you. What are you guys up to?", oh no- we are informed that at the Office we are in work mode, and thus we must not shift our focus to anything but WORK!
So fine , we drop the crap off, drive home, and put Brooklyn in her crib- yay! Down for her 1st nap. Cooper and I wander around the yard, watering various plants, and realizing i haven't showered from the gym, I 'request' that he comes in so i can shower, and get some lunch ready!
He decides that it would be "more fun out-side" so i tell him to stay with the puppies and he gets 5 minutes!!!
After getting dressed, I go outside and he is GONE!!!! Along with Parker & Mazy , who aren't even responding to dog-calls, whistles, yelling(frantically, i might add), and then that darn chest pain creeps back in! I have a really bad feeling, and run to the back where I can see 2 of the 3 neighbour swimming pools, to see if they have wandered close to any of the gates...NOTHING.....I am still yelling , hollering, calling, and finally am able to enlist 2 neighbours(1 with a John Deere mule, that he is ever so happy to drive up and down the creeks looking for my rascal child), and the other whose land backs up to ours and shares a creek bed that Cooper and the Dogs often visit!! After about 45 minutes and a call to James(who is super pissed!) they have spotted Cooper and our 2 DEAF dogs down in that very creek, and when James drives up, Naughty Boy, sulks down into the passenger seat, becoming one with the leather, and KNOWS he's about to be whooped!!!!
We get home, he gets a talking to, and announces he's "hungry"- like duh- that's what we were trying to do over 50 minutes ago when you ran off!!! James looks at me with this look of utter disgust and says, 'they haven't even eaten?' (And yes, Brooklyn is still sound asleep in her crib-Violation #1 leaving a child alone in a house, while sleeping, to look for wandering child)
'No, because he ran off, and I was freaking out, and not about to keep making sandwiches when my child could have been 'Godknowswhere'!!!'
"Well we are going to have to instill a little more structure in our day, to allow for proper nap schedules, meals, and routine. These kids can't handle all of this random-ness, if I were at home I would be going crazy with all this chaos!" , he states!
"Yah- I bet you couldn't even handle it for one day- it's all i do ALL the time, have NO escape, NO adult conversation, NO help, and you get to LEAVE every day!!!"

I know, i am supposed to be the selfless, mature, nurturing type in this relationship, but I am getting fed up and ready to do something for ME!!(more on that later!)

So we battle, and talk , and battle, and am starting to feel like an underpaid, lowly staff member!! The evening progresses into some what of a repeat of the night before, but tomorrow will be better!!!

Day 3- Wednesday(the day I could have been hauled off to the clink!)

Better attitude this morning, had a nice chat with hubby before he left at 6:55 am for the office, a big cup of coffee, doing the office payroll, reading the newspaper, and getting kiddos ready for running a few errands! Our life saver maid, Rosa, is on her way to help out with the things I can't get to once a week- don't be a hater- I KNOW I am home all week long to do EVERYTHING, but there are some things, you just can't always get to(Jazz Hands falling here too!!!)
So we run to the Post Office, Bank, WalMart, and lastly to the UPS store to mail some returns for the office and a long overdue gift for Gabby-bella's 4th Bday! I park right in front of the store(just like I always do- BIG glass windows, where I can see the car perfectly, and it only EVER takes me 2 minutes to run in, drop off mail, pick up stamps and I'm done! And yes,
Violation #2- I grew up in a small town, and it is perfectly safe to leave your children , securely strapped in their car seats, AC on, doors locked, watching their favorite 'Backyardigans' video, that they love SO much and will scream if you dare to pull them out of said SECURE car seats for 2 flippin minutes, to get stamps, when they could just watch their video, get your stuff done (while watching car closely), and scamper back without them even knowing!)
Well, I am in the store, almost finished with transaction, 79 seconds after leaving the car, which AGAIN is parked RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FREAKIN STORE, and this man, dressed in normal street attire appears and announces..."WHOSE SILVER LAND ROVER IS PARKED OUT FRONT?"
'Um, that is mine- is there a problem?'
"Do you realize that there are 2 children sitting in your vehicle out there?"
(SO tempting to yell out- 'REALLY? How could they have gotten IN there?' But better judgement prevails) "Yes, sir- I am just getting my receipt"
"You need to get out there immediately and get those children OUT of that car- this is not allowed!"
And we are all thinking the same thing, he leaves, and someone shouts out 'OK, parking lot patrol' we giggle , and I am sweating bullets, red as a freakin stop sign, and don't know whether to abandom the sales clerk, or rescue my endangered children...
I choose the latter(Smarty-pants!), and proceed to yank out 2 SCREAMING children, who look like they just were separated from their long lost best buddies, covered in Cheeto mess, squirming,kicking and all out hitting mommy, cause they 'don't wanna go in 'der!' just to get my freakin receipt and to haul them all the way back out to re-position them in their super -secure car seats! Glad I did, cause the NOT SO gentleman turned out to be an under cover Sheriff, and I probably would have been arrested or something if I hadn't raced out to the car!

So yes, I have learned my lesson, and will be running NO errands until these rascals are in kindergarten by myself, cause my heart is still beating like a race car!!! For all of your information, this is the ONLY store that I even consider leaving them in there, because it's a small town, & I can see them directly through the window 10 feet away, but for that one chance that some BOZO random could break through the door/window and drive off with my adorable rug rats- it's just NOT WORTH IT!!!!

Once back in the safety and privacy of our home, (well, semi-privacy, Rosa is still slaving away), I call my Mom and BAWL MY EYES OUT- cause this has officially been the worst 1/2 week ever- that's right- it's not even over& that means there is more chance for super-fun times and Mommy Violations! And she recommended that I blog this one out, for purely therapeutic reasons (and because she had other 'fires' to attend to!)

Lesson learned!!!

Fun Weekend & stuff.....

2008-08-04T17:57:00.005-05:00

A little breakdown of our weekend:
We played ALL day Friday afternoon, and then Daddy & Mommy got to double date with our great friends Brian & Nami- we went out for yummy sushi at Fujiya and missed our movie!(The Dark Knight- Thank GOD!!!!!)
Saturday, we went to our cousin Josh & Bethany's wedding at La Villita- it was a beautiful evening for the darling couple!

And a few pics to tell the story:

Our sweet little Brookie- who, thank GOD!!!!!, loves fruit!

Daddy & Brookie greeting family at cousin Josh's wedding!

Cooper 'eyeing' the tempting water fountain!

Cooper getting closer to 'tempting' water fountain

Aunt Christy, cousin Josh, & Uncle Dan-O!

.

This is the face I see ALL day long when I so much as 'look' in Brooklyn's direction- she's a TOTAL Mommy's girl! Darling-yes, too much to carry- OH YES! PLEASE START TO WALK BROOKLYN!!!!!! Dr. has put me on a strong dose of Naproxen(I'm quite serious here) to help with this 'surprising' inflammation in my left shoulder!

Photographic 'proof' that my husband can't keep his ever-adjusting/massaging/touching/aligning hands off ANYONE!!!!

Oh, SURPRISE- Brooklyn spots Mommy again!

Our adorable little nephew, and Cooper's Bestest cousin, Mason! I am seriously in love with this little dude, and have been since he was born 7 years ago....

Cooper & Daddy with Mr.Policeman- he just had to get a picture with him, and was so excited when he got a Sheriff badge-( dang, I think I just remembered that i forgot and washed that thing!)

And as anyone who has kids, and owns a camera knows- Mommy was NOT there- really, truly, there are NO photos of mommy's and the ones we do have are NOT even close to being in focus(uh, Hemm-James!)

But all in all, Fun times with a Super Fun family!

Las Vegas BABY!!!!!

2008-08-01T17:41:00.003-05:00

OKAY- It's Official! I finally got the guts to book my ticket for an awesome girls weekend with my bestest friends EVER!!!!! Can't wait to see all their beautiful faces again, and just relax, shop, eat , shop, lounge, shop, watch Hailers run a race(!?!), shop and then maybe SLEEP!!!!!

We miss you Gramma!

2008-07-25T08:17:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, July 19th, my husband's mother, my mother in law, and Cooper and Brooklyn's Gramma sadly passed away and went on to be in a better place!
We had a fantastic Coast trip a couple of weeks ago, got to watch fireworks together, go fishing, swimming, laugh like we have never laughed before, and Gramma got to try her favorite new drink, 'Brown Oil'. We spent alot of time hearing about wonderful memories, fishing stories, childhood memories, and catching up with her 7 children, 18 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren!
We Love You Gramma, we miss you, but we know you are looking down and watching out over us!
Cooper says that "the Sun is with Gramma"

We Love You & Miss You!

LATE Spring Cleaning!!

2008-07-17T08:06:00.002-05:00

This is what I have been eating every day for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
I am on Day 4 of my "Purification Diet" that is going to make me (hopefully) feel like a new, vibrant, non-achy, person!
So, besides these yummy shakes, I can have all-you-can-eat veggies, fruits, wild rice and lentils! The part that is killing me is NO fish or meat till day 10!!!! That means, I can't enjoy any salmon, or chicken for a week and half, no pasta, breads, cereals.....NADA!!!!
So why must I put myself through this excruciating pain? Well, truly ALL of us should be doing some sort of ('uh hmm') internal cleansing a couple times of year, just to get out all the processed foods, sugars, caffeine, chemicals, .....So I am being brave, and only having done this kind of thing 1 other time, I'm a newbie, but pretty proud of my success thus far! Yes, it's only Day 4, but if you know me AT ALL- you know I am the snacker-of all snackers, love my 3 +COFFEES a day, and have no self control with junk!
So- I also have kicked my Cappuccino kick for the next 21 days- no CRAZY headaches yet, but I am sure that Aaron and Johnna miss me at Starbucks!!!!
Wish me luck on my 21 day non-fest- it's gonna be hard this weekend!

Dr. Cooper to the rescue!

2008-07-08T13:27:00.003-05:00

Last night, .....OK, LATE last night, I had bathed the kids, and left them in James', albeit 'sick', hands so I could go to the store and get Office supplies without screaming, kicking, wanting and just to have some ALONE time......

well, I returned home after about an hour, and it's about 10:30 when I walk through the door to find Playdoh, crayons,various toys, sippy cups, & fruit loops EVERYWHERE!!!!! And there is my sweet hubby, with the stomach bug, & 101 fever, asleep on the couch. The kids are WIDE awake (most likely from their self induced Sugar Rushes), and there are no signs of calming down coming from anywhere.......

20 minutes later I finally get Brooklyn down, but Mr Cooper is still going.....STRONG!!!

So after putting everything away, washing my face, brushing my teeth (and his , AGAIN) I think we are almost there, till he grabs a box of 'Elmo' band-aids and runs back to the Game Room where James is asleep!!!

He comes running back to our room and says, "Daddy's better now".........

We wake up this morning and James tells me the Cooper had come in last night, given him a kiss on his forehead, and then placed an 'Elmo" bandage for his 'headache'. What a little sweetheart- and I forgive him now for keeping me up till midnight!

I LOVE this little munchkin!

2008-07-02T17:39:00.002-05:00

Okay Brookie- you have been a little stinker as of late, but I just want you (and everyone else) to know how much you make me happy! You really are a gift from God, and even when you are screaming for me to pick up your sweaty, 25+ pd body, against my sweaty --- pd body, I can't help but look into your darling blue eyes, and think........I wanna just eat you up!!!! Love you Bubbles- please be good for Mommy, Daddy & big bro Cooper at the coast!!!

Our 'Beginning of Summer' trip to the Coast

2008-06-26T10:44:00.004-05:00

We started off our summer with a trip to the coast with some of our Best Friends!!!! We shacked up in the Kennell Condo, the guys went wade fishing, we played at the pool, went to the beach, fished off the dock at our favorite "honey hole", had great food, drink & lots of fun times together......

.........then we ended the great trip with Coop & Brooks getting the lovely & painful 'Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease', passing it along to McCoy, and poor baby Hudson paying a visit to the ER with Croup and later being admitted to ICU!!!

But he's out , doing great, and the other 3 kiddos are having a playdate today at our house! All is well again, except for the crazy $813 Utility Bill I just received in the mail today..........

Our big girl Brookie, riding to meet the big brother's at the Fishing "honey hole"

One of Cooper's catches over the weekend!

McCoy & his daddy Chris with their catch!

Sweet Hudson doin' the "George" on the beach!

The darling "Blessings", who braved the weekend with our 4 crazy kids!

Cooper & Brooklyn building a sand castle together on the beach!

Our great friends McCoy, Courtney & Hudson

Best Buds McCoy and Cooper on their "rides"...

Chris & Court lounging....where were the kiddos?

Brooklyn & Hudson having a snack in the condo......what's so funny Dee Dee?

A very deceiving picture.......i have NO tan! Actually this was the 1st weekend I can ever remember not getting a sun-burn at the Beach!

Uncle Cliff throwing 'potato chips' to the sea-gulls, so they can fly over head. His wife, Aunt Allison LOVES that!!!

Brooklyn crashes out after her beach adventure.

The 'guys' munching down!

2008-06-03T07:44:00.002-05:00

Cooper posing with the GIANT horse at Brooklyn's 1st Dental appointment!( all of you out there, get your kiddos in to get their little chompers checked out! We saw half of Sea World with Baby Bottle Tooth Decay- NOT pretty!)

Here's our little princess getting her teeth examined by Dr. L- we LOVE her! Cooper was such a good big brother- he even asked to have his teeth cleaned AGAIN(which he absolutely HATES to have done every evening and morning by yours truly! SO frustrating!) Anyway, she did great and got a special sticker!

Here's a sneak preview of our house for those of you that keep pestering me for pictures- I was planning an elaborate slide show presentation of our digs, sans window coverings, furniture, lanscaping etc.- it's just really SLOW getting all this stuff together and a real project to purchase furnishings, decorations, rugs, etc while my little rascals run up and down the aisles of the stores screaming that they are hungry, tired, bored, wanna "go swimm-an"- you get the picture.....anyway, I promise to post more soon...

Cooper is the new pool that our awesome neighbours(LOVE THEM!!!!) bought Brookie for her Birthday- really it's a Coastal Paradise Getaway for the 'adults' after the kids are asleep- Margaritas and Beer INCLUDED!!!!(I think this was their plan all along..)

Our little poser catching 'nemo's' in the pool- his most FAVORITE thing to do - EVER!!!

Brooklyn's Party Pics!

2008-05-25T23:27:00.004-05:00

Here are a few sneak peeks from Brooklyn's 1st Birthday Party courtesy of our great friend and awesome photographer, Jenn! Brooklyn had a blast, even though she had missed her morning nap, and would barely touch her cake(strange child, although a 'healthy' one-NOT her mother's daughter!!)
I can't believe our little princess is officially a toddler, a big girl- growing up right before our eyes!!!!
More photos to follow!!

Happy 1st Birthday Brooklyn!!!

2008-05-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday to our little Princess!!!

I can't believe that this year has come and gone SO quickly! Our darling little daughter is 1 year old today, and she is full of fun, a real 'drama queen', eats like a pro(which is FANTASTIC since her big brother eats like a bird!), plays hard, loves her big brother Cooper, very attached to her 'woobie', has scrumptous rolls in ALL the right places, loves to laugh, loves her doggies and kitties, and is really just an all round super girl!!!
We love you Bubbles- hope that you have a great day! (pictures from her Bday party to follow......)

Yay for Boobies!

2008-05-20T17:23:00.003-05:00

So....Cooper and I were perusing one of my weekly magazines, when we stumbled across an article about John Mayer/Jennifer Aniston and how Jessica Simpson is having issues with the 2nd love of her life that she really never got over, is falling in love with another ....gasp......woman!!!!! And yada, yada, yada......

Well, you turn the page to see a picture of Jessica Simpson looking rather busty in a pink bikini, and then on the next page you see Jennifer Aniston in a swimsuit as well.........First of all, Cooper sees Tony Romo in a picture and says, "look Mom, it's Chris!' (which is Cooper's good buddy, McCoy's, Daddy! And actually there is quite a resemblance I must say!) And then I ask him..."OK, and who else do you see?" and he points to Jennifer Aniston (small-ish boobies)and says, "Momma", and then he points to J. Simpson in all her booblicious glory and says, "That's Dadda!"

Do WHAT?

So I say, "No , Cooper, daddy's don't have boobies, only mommies do", to which he replies, "But Momma, you have 2 boobies, and Dadda only has 1!"

2008-05-15T08:08:00.004-05:00

Ok- so , it's been about a month since I have truly posted anything of value, so now I have to catch all of you up on our last few weeks and 'experiences'!
I don't even know where to start except that we have officially 'moved'! YAY!!!!! It took 2 years to design, draw, and finally build our dream house, and we are finally moved in. Of course there are still boxes scattered throughout, furniture we have yet to buy, pictures and window coverings yet to buy, but we are getting there slowly but surely! Heck , we don't even have any front lawn until Friday, so Cooper is pretty much having a blast playing 'Bob the Builder' in the dirt , and swinging his golf clubs through the 'rough'!!!
So, the move got off to a good start with help from a great referral for a moving company- they were SO sweet and worked very quickly and carefully! Then, Grandma Tina came over to help out with the kids, and tried to keep them occupied while we packed and unpacked all the many boxes.....all was going well that week until Friday hit, and Brooklyn decided to take a dive onto the Patio pebbled concrete! Right onto her sweet little nose! A lovely 'flap' of skin resulted with gushes of blood, and i just did my best to keep it clean! She was a trooper and went on about her day.......that afternoon, I had to run some errands, took Cooper and left Brooklyn and Daddy to eat a late lunch, and when we returned, Brooklyn had apparently 'jumped' out of her highchair onto the tile floor!!!!! James had checked her out, she seemed OK, smiled and decided that it was time for a nap! This girl had had a really rough day, so we weren't surprised
when she slept for almost 4 hours, went in to check on her, and she started to cry like crazy! And she NEVER cries after her nap! This is Happy Baby!
Some friends had come over, brought dinner, and I had just sat down to eat on the patio when all of a sudden, there is a flood of projectile vomit over my left shoulder!!! 2 bouts of it, so we grabbed her and decided to get to the ER!!! Thank goodness we had a new ER and Hospital built right outside the community gate, and we were there in less than 2 minutes! We actually saw a Dr. within 10 minutes of arrival (gasp!) and had her checked out since she hadn't been acting like herself and we were starting to be concerned about a concussion, and I personally would not have been able to go to sleep without watching her breathe all through the night!! So we got checked out and everything was A-OK!!! THANK GOD!!!!
Of course, that was the end of our dinner with friends, but we'll have to do a repeat soon......Sorry Brian and Jen!
So the next couple weeks have flown by, with alot of excitement, dirty puppy paws, construction dust from next door, Cooper wandering off into 'the Woods' with the dogs and cats, and me having to weave my way through the said 'Woods' bobbing and ducking with 'Heavy-B' on my hip to find the little rascal- for this reason alone, I cannot WAIT till she can walk! OK- that would be the ONLY reason, cause once she gets mobile, i'm sure they'll be heading off in opposite directions, and FAST!!!!
So we have GREAT neighbours, with great kids(aka 'built-in babysitters'), they LOVE wine, great food, and have awesome dirt bikes and 4-wheelers that get Cooper SO excited....already for-seeing his 3rd birthday gift......and Cooper just loves running over to say hi! to Brian and Nami and asking for a 'snack'- from their great Pantry that has already been opened up to him! We love these guys, and are glad they have called Boerne HOME!!!
For Mother's Day, we took a fantastic trip to Sea World in SA with the kids, and got there about 2 hours later than anticipated, but had a fantastic time , despite the 98 degree weather- HOT!!!!! I ran off to go shopping , sans ANYONE, and then to my neice Karlie's darling Bridal Shower. On Sunday, we headed to church, had lots of family over and enjoyed Cousin Ashley's yummy seafood Paella, Sangria, salads, and Aunt Michelle's yummy Ice Cream Cake....And if tat wasn't enough, James took me to Game 4 of the Spurs playoff game, which they happened to WIN(althought they just last the last one- bad!!!). Got home that evening to the babysitter , who had her work cut out for her with Cooper not wanting to eat all day, Brooklyn being a 'Cling-On'(yep- she's still in that stage), and walked through the door, and Cooper puked EVERYWHERE!!!! Turned out to be a stomach bug that lasted though the night! Uhhh...huhhhh!
So that was my Mother's Day, but I'm not complaining except that for the next few years, whenever there is a Birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Anniversary, whatever, and I am thinking that this is the time my hubby is gonna 'spring' for a sweet gift.....I will be sorely reminded that I have a 'New House'!!! SO NOT FAIR!!!! But I did get a great card, and even better, he made a card from the kids, on which he managed to dip their hands in acrylic paint(?) and get perfect handprints and signatures from both with a 'Happy Mother's Day'! So that alone made it the best Mother's Day ever and it will remain on the fireplace mantle for as long as possible!
Hope all of you are doing great and now that we are semi-settled I will do my best to keep it updated , all while planning our little Brookie's 1st Bday party which is right around the corner!!!!!
More to come, and I promise for all of you that have asked, I'll post some photos of the new digs soon!!!!

(One of our last days at the old house- and the first time they have actually posed together and not SCREAMED!)

2008-05-06T08:37:00.002-05:00

Okay, I have been seriously slacking, moving, ER visits, unpacking, furnishing, etc....it's really taken a toll!!!! BUT- as I am pondering my next post, I thought that I would link you to something FABULOUSLY funny......click here!!!

2008-04-23T16:18:00.002-05:00

Kids are asleep....I should be packing.........watching Oprah.......I should be packing.......I'm craving pop-corn and Caff-free Pepsi..........I should be packing.........what to do...........

Brooklyn Claire.......

2008-04-09T18:07:00.005-05:00

Here's a few of Brooklyn's latest 'shots'!! Can you believe this little poser? Too funny!
(Be sure to check out the lovely Baby-Cheese!! Priceless!!)

Update!

2008-04-03T08:28:00.002-05:00

SO.........SORE............I...........CAN.............BARELY...........
MOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVE.........

BIG SURPRISE!!!!

2008-03-31T16:20:00.003-05:00

Yep- I know this is going to shock & confuse all of you, but yes, I, Raimey, have decided, once again to change my mind, because I am a Pisces , and therefore I can, and have changed my Blog template once again!!! I know , I know, you are all super bummed that the beautiful baby- poop-brown color that once inhabited this space is now gone, never to be seen again! And why you ask? Because frankly, I was tired at looking at my baby-poop-brown Blog screen too!!! Plus pictures look a whole lot better with a white background!!!!
AND, it is Monday, a new day, and a perfect day to start my new fitness routine!
Yep, 4 fantastic reasons to begin BEFORE the 1st of April:
1. It is Monday, beginning of the week, hardest day to start ANYTHING productive.
2. It's about DARN TIME!!!! January 1st passed us by 4 months ago.
3. My great friend, motivator, and person-to-be-most-jealous-of-in-every-area, including having the most drive to exercise, no wait, she's training for about a million triathalons, and marathons, has a rock hard body after 2 kids, and LOVES the outdoors!!!(The last part I am sooooo jealous of, cause quite honestly, I break out in a rash being outdoors too long-part sunburn/part allergy) Hailey, has devised a kick-butt plan for me(a 'much'-watered down version of what she ACTUALLY does on a weekly basis)! And we are going to watch our diets, too, together. UH HUH!!!!
4. Well, I can't tell you EVERY reason.........but no, I am NOT pregnant, nor do I plan on this in the near near future!
So there you have it! I have confessed my PLAN to you all, and you all have to keep me accountable, because I have SO many times tried to do this on my own, and I am darned if I am going to go through the rest of my life saying, one day I'll do this, and actually ENJOY it!
So , like taking my daily shower(Thank GOD!), it -"EXERCISE"-WILL become part of my life!
Hooray! Now- off to eat some yummy apple slices instead of the very tempting Cadbury Mini Eggs staring me in the face!!!!(Thanks to a small addiction brought on my another great friend, my darling Jilly-Bean!)
P.S. Now I also have a great reason to buy a new pair of sparkly new & clean workout shoes, and spend my next allowance by updating my ever-expanding collection of Lululemon wear!(Thanks to an addiction brought on by Jill,my Beautiful Sister-in-Law to be!)

Recap!

2008-03-27T08:36:00.008-05:00

YES- I have been seriously slacking for the the past 2 weeks!!! Slacking with the blog, but otherwise we have been extremely busy!!!
First of all, the Grandparents Thacker were in town last week along with Uncle Nathan!!!! We all had colds, and eye boogers, and snotty noses, and grouchy pants, but all in all, we got to do alot of fun things!! Golfing, eating out, trip to the zoo, watched cousin Ross play BaseBall, wiping noses- fun was had by all, and then it ended all too quickly!!! Here are some highlights:

A beautiful big brown bear, that really wasn't THAT big, but she was 26 years old!!!

Our little Cooper, who decided that he would sleep through the entire Zoo trip!

Munchy Time!

Brooklyn & Oma at the Golf Course! Her poor little eyes were still so sore, and Oma thinks that she is the ONLY person in the world right now with BRACES- but she'll be pleasantly surprised to hear this.....
Then I had a Fantastic birthday, thanks to all the wonderful wishes from all my dear friends and family, this from a superb-ly fantastic friend, and a surprise breakfast with my family, and salt scrub, hot stone massage, sushi lunch & an afternoon movie with my LoveBug(all while our sweet sis-in-law Christi babysat(with 8 of her own!!)....then a yummy ice cream cake for dessert where Cooper sang, 'Happy ta-Birfday to Mommma, Happy ta-Birfday to Mommmma, Happy ta-Birfday to MOMMMMMMAAAAA, HAPPY tA- Birfhday to MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAA!' Too sweet and caught on camera!

Then, we took a fun trip down to the coast, where Cooper got to catch some Nemo's, we went to the beach where Brookie ate aLOT of sand, Cooper ran in the waves, and Mommy got a little (BAD GIRL!!) sunburn where the 50+ SPF didn't reach! We ate well, went for lots of walks, and enjoyed each other's company......

Big girl ready for a morning walk!

Cooper & Daddy catching Nemo's

Proud fisherman!

Eating 'tillas on the Pier!

Brooklyn on the beach!

Then we had Easter lunch (fajitas, rice, chips and guacamole, bean dip, and yummy Sangria!!) with friends & family, and did a little Egg hunt before we got sprinkled on.......

Brooklyn with Uncle J!

Mr. Happy pants Wyatt, after an unfortunate mishap with the floor!

Brooklyn with cousin Ross

Cooper on the Egg Hunt

Brooklyn and her basket!

And now, our house is about 30 days away from completion, there is SO much to do and fine tune, so don't be surprised if you here little from me for the next little while.....of course , i'll try and do my best!

I've been tagged....again!

2008-03-14T22:29:00.004-05:00

What time did you get up this morning? 8:30(LOVVVE having the family in town from Canada!!- we get to sleep in!!)

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Can't really remember- might be "Night at the Museum" , like , 2 Christmas' ago- chased Cooper around for most of it!

What is your favorite TV show? Oh boy, here we go: Young & the Restless(every day since I was about 14 years old), Boston Legal, A.N.T.M., The Hills, Keeping up With the Kardashians, O'Reilly Factor, Girls Next Door, Rachael Ray, Dancing with the Stars,......

What do you usually have for breakfast? Kashi Go-Lean Crunch or Seven Grain Toast with Organic Morello Cherry Jam, and eggs, with COFFEE!!!!! And a menagerie of about 50 Vitamins and Minerals........I'm a sucker for supplements!

What food do you dislike?I can pretty much eat anything- not picky!! OH YEAH- I HATE LEFT-OVERS!!!! Won't eat those......

What is your favorite CD at the moment? A mix I have on my Ipod from I-Tunes- mostly gym tunes!!!!
What kind of car do you drive? A Land Rover Discovery

Favorite Sandwich? I LOVE the Hill of Beans Sandwich from Lighthouse Cafe!!!!

Favorite item of clothing? Any of my Juicy sweatsuits- I know, I know, they are SO 3 years ago, but they are still super comfy and part of my staples!!!!! Oh yeah, and my ugly Uggs!

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?France, Italy & Germany

Favorite Brand of clothing? Still love Seven Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, & Michael Stars T's & can always find something at Forever 21!

Where would you retire to? Canada

What is your most recent memorable birthday?Don't think I've had a most memorable one- maybe the one where I found out I was preggo with Cooper- that was COOL!!!

Favorite sport to watch? Basketball, or Entertainment Tonight!

When is your birthday? March 19, 1975- yep, right around the corner!

Are you a morning person or a night person?Used to be morning person, then night, then morning, now- I am neither!!!! I am a good "sleep-person"!

What is your shoe size? 10- el Grande!!

Pets?Bella & Luna - our cats, Parker Posey- our beloved Golden Retreiver, and Mazy- our Chocolate Lab, oh yeah, and Nemo- Cooper's fish!

Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Our house is STILL at least 60 days from completion!

What did you want to be when you were little? I told my mom- "I want to be nothing, mom- just like YOU!!!" Never lived that down, and low and behold, here I am !!!!!!!

How are you today? Always EXHAUSTED!!! But my family is in town, so that makes it all better!!!!

What is your favorite candy? Addidcted to Cadbury Mini - Eggs, Swedish Fish, Gummi- Bears, and Sour Soothers!
What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 19th and 24th

What are you listening to right now? TV in the background, and our ever-running Dryer!

What is the last thing you ate? Handful of Popcorn & a sip of Caff-free Pepsi!

Do you wish on stars?You bet- why not?!?!?

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue or Pink- depends on the day!

How is the weather right now? Beautiful day, and cooling off for the night!

Last Person you spoke to on the phone? Our Builder

Soft Drink? Caff-free Pepsi

Favorite Restaurant? Fujiya

Hair color? Blonde

What was your favorite toy as a child?Barbies & Magazines- SERIOUSLY!!!!

Hugs or kisses? BOTH!!!

Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla

When was the last time you cried? Today!

What is under your bed? Nordstrom shoe box

What did you do last night? Went for dinner!

What are you a afraid of? The Sun!

Salty or sweet?Salty

Favorite day of the week? Friday!

How many towns have you lived in? 1.Bow Island, AB, 2.Medicine Hat, 3. Lethbridge,
4. Langley, BC, 5. Provo, UT, 6. Orem, UT, 7. Salt Lake City, UT, 8. Murray, UT, 9. Sandy, UT.
10. Beeville, TX, 11.San Antonio, TX, 12. Boerne, TX- wowzers, I think that's it!

Do you make friends easily? Depends- I do have EXCELLENT 'first impression' radar!

And now I'm tagging Jamie, Hailers and Jill!

Pink Slip ..........PLEASE!!!!

2008-03-09T18:44:00.002-05:00

Is is just ME , or do any of you stay-at-home moms feel like you are severly 'sucking' at your current position?

Lately I feel like I can't wipe enough noses, clean enough diapers, remind 'enough ' that it's potty-time(again), clean enough dishes, do 4+ loads of laundry a day, pay enough bills, go grocery shopping (again!!), call back the Builders, force down medicine down the throat of 2 year old & cleaning up the resulting vomit, unload the dishwasher (at least) twice a day, reload the dishwasher, read stories, grab back 'cookies' from 2 year old, force feed 2 year old something other than milk, chase 9 month old 'up' the stairs(caught her doing that last week- hopefully it was her 1st time:)), clean the table, set the table , make the dinner- nope, ORDER the dinner, in the bath, out of the bath, change into jammies, read another story, hear "watch Mickeeeeeee Mouuuuuuuse?" for the 100th time, and then- when I am just ready to sit down and relax, to get the old....

nudge, nudge?

Someone please FIRE ME!!!!!
I really didn't know what I was thinking when I applied for SAHM, but I think that I was really underqualified for that job!!!! But then again I was 'hired' for the job, and there isn't anyone else that can fill this position quite like I can, so I guess, for now, I will revel in the 24 hr. days, extremely LOW pay, booger & food stained uniform, and remember that 1 day- I will be begging my 21 & 19 year old clients to

PLEASE COME HOME FROM COLLEGE!!!!!!!!

Sunday!

2008-03-02T16:48:00.004-06:00

Today, Cooper decided that it would be really cool if he took a 'swig' from the doggy's water bowl, guess he figured it was time to bumb up his immune system with some 'natural immunities'.
Brooklyn swept the entire back yard looking for yummy sticks, and fallen leaves(it was SUPER windy today!)Mmmmm! Mmmmm! Good!!!!!
Oh, and tonight, we get to have a 'real' babysitter, and are heading off to the YoungLife Banquet with good friends! Can't wait!

9 months!

2008-02-29T07:54:00.004-06:00

Well, our little Beautiful baby girl has recently turned 9 months old, and we are proud to announce that she weighed in at 22 pds, 11 oz, and 29.5 inches long?!?!?!?! What the? Her big "little" brother barely squeaked by 20 pds, when he was 13.5 months old, and we 'desperately' wanted to turn his seat around in the car!!! Well, we cheated on that one, and seriously considering cheating on this one!(Okay- I DID, I DID - on our trip to Spring, but I promise I'll turn it back around backwards today!!!)

Weekend in Spring!

2008-02-26T06:51:00.003-06:00

Just got back from a great weekend with friends!!!! And what an event that was!!!!(Husbands were out of town, so we were on our own!!) MAJOR drama with the kiddos- Anna and I were ready to buy matching 'pink' wooden spoons from Williams Sonoma, but somehow we were dissuaded!!
We finally got over to the 'Baby Zeum' - that's the Baby MUSEUM in real talk, and what a great time they had!!! All sorts of learning and playing stations for the kiddos, kitchens, a market, fake black-staining rock area which Cooper still has smudged all over his socks, and a super enormous microscope for kids where they can learn about germs, and what part of the body they come from, and Gabby, I hope you learned about those yucky germs that you have been transporting from your nose to your mouth!!!!!

Anyway, NEXT time it will be planned with more relaxation for the mommies, cause we SO deserved it- and were flat our DENIED!!!!!!

(Until THIS....)

Back it UP!!!!

2008-02-20T23:01:00.002-06:00

OK- I just had a MAJOR meltdown!!!! Way worse than any 2 year old, AND almost-9-months old could muster up TOGETHER!!! Oh YEAH!!! It was really bad!!!!
So there I am, sitting on the couch,with James' laptop, updating his Office Quickbooks, doing payroll (which, KIM, is not getting until MONDAY!!!!;)), and getting sweet night time kisses from Mr. Coops, when James informs me that ..."Your laptop is dead!"
DO WHAT?????????????????????
That's not a laptop- that thing is my life, and to tell you the truth, nothing comes between me and my laptop! (in fact, it secretly bothers me when my "significant other" decides to use it to surf the web after the kiddos are in bed).....
...so I am about to enter PANIC mode, and I rush over to the barely breathing, soft light fluttering, no display showing laptop, that has been plugged in ALL day!!! And guess where my mind goes? To our cleaning lady, and maybe she dropped it , or her helper, or maybe she accidentally dusted it like I told her not to!!!!!! Then I start thinking about all those times James telling me to "back it up" ....Yeah, Yeah!!! Backing up sucks, takes too long, and uses too many discs.....so NO-I HAVE NOT BACKED THIS SUCKER UP! Not ONCE, not EVER!!!! What a freakin' retard!!!! I am.......
Anyway, the MINUTE I get off the phone with said "cleaning lady" I feel like the biggest ball of crap, when low and behold, while holding down the power button for like, the 150th time.......IT'S ALIVE!!!!!
So guess what I am doing at 11:12 pm, and most likely LOONNNNNNNG into the night.........BACKING THIS SUCKER UP!!!!!

San....box?

2008-02-11T21:57:00.000-06:00

Here's Cooper and Brooklyn in their new 'San-box'! This is the first toy that Cooper has even BEGUN to think about sharing with his little "BIG" sister!!! So sweet!!!!

I am so glad we are having great weather, cause being all couped up inside was getting really OLD!!!! Not that I am complaining , since in Texas we maybe have a total of 2 weeks ALL year that you can't be outside!

So sunscreen, hats, juicy-juice and snacks- and we are ready to PLAY!!!!

Touchdown! and family fun.....

2008-02-11T08:24:00.001-06:00

A beautiful Saturday afternoon at the field with friends........

FLUSH...........

2008-02-07T10:40:00.000-06:00

So, I had just finished reading 'Potty Time with Elmo' while Cooper was sitting on his 'potty Bumbo"(as he calls the potty seat), with a wriggling & screaming "heavy-weight" Brooklyn on my lap( I think that the cold bug is coming back to visit our family- Damn!!).

I told the Coops that he could have some M&M's(his HEAVEN) if he told mommy when he had to go poo-poo, and that he could start to wear his big boy underpants too!!!! He wasn't too sure about the underpants, cause, gosh darn, he really likes Pull-Ups!!! So he procedes to say, 'No, Momma, Pull-ups, Cooper do it!'
OKEY DOKEY!!
Up the stairs I went to go change Brooklyn , again, since she has taken to drooling profusely while we wait for these darn Maxillary incisors to appear!!!! and we hear a .....FLUSH.........'Cooper DID it, Momma!!!!!' "Cooper GO POOPOO" (ALL BY HIMSELF!!!)
We run downstairs. and sure enough, there are the telltale signs of the poopoo on his 'po-po', and so we clean up, and he is rewarded with the M&M's..........

.....and not more than 2 minutes later(after the picture is taken, and barely downloaded), i hear a ripping sound.......and this is what I find!

AGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Bung-hol-io................

2008-02-05T20:11:00.000-06:00

This came across my email today........hmmmm......absolutely H-Y-S-T-E-R-I-C-A-L!!!!!!!

RENT-ERZZZ!!!!!

2008-02-03T12:09:00.000-06:00

We "officially" Sold THIS:

and now we are Renters again! Well, for the next couple of months, anyway!!!
So I have been ignoring Blogging, phone calls, and emails, regarding this monster, but now, that we found a buyer (actually have had a contract since BEFORE Christmas), and one that included a lease-back option(HALLELUJIA!!!!), we can celebrate and BREATHE.......
What a fabulous Blessing to be able to have this house sell first, be able to rent(so we don't have to do 2 moves with the kids and animals), and take our time enjoying the finishing process of our new digs, rather than stressing day and night (and all of you who know me well, know I am the QUEEN of that!) on whether this house will sell!!! I SO didn't want to start out with a Rental Property when the kids are this young,, cause I know who the complaints and necessary house calls would fall to.....MOI!!!!!
So we are happy, HEALTHY(the month-long virus/bugs/funk that had settled over our house is GONE!) and excited to begin our new adventure!
Here's an update at 132 Fair Springs..........

We are installing all the cabinets, closets, trim, ArcusStone, and this week we should be painting, finishing the tile, installing wood floors, and staining!!!!!
More photos to come........
Oh yeah, and Cooper wants you all to know that '2' Pull-Ups are surely better than '1'!!!!

Oh, and a Shout-Out to Cooper's best bud McCoy, for the 'awesome' Cars Tattoo's- SO sad when they washed off!!!!

*****Girls- we have to book that trip ASAP, and Hailers......where is my Trainer? It's already the 4th of Feb.......ahh...ghmmmmm!*****

It's a new day.....again!!!

2008-01-24T17:06:00.000-06:00

Okay- I am about to get on and off my soapbox here, but you guys have to take it from me, trust me , I know!!!

I just received my quarterly call from my Dermatologist that my mole biopsies came out 'Mildly Dysplastic'. HOORAY!!!!!!!

Okay , you ask? Why is she celebrating about 'slightly changing cells'? Well? Because , to date, I have had 2 Basal Cell Carcinomas, and as a result of my super fair skin, that should have NEVER seen Caribbean sun, let alone the Canadian sun without any sort of sunscreen(cause PABA hurt, hurt, hurt my sensitive baby skin),then there were the countless sunning sessions in 'tanning beds', cause I just 'felt' healthier, happier and skinnier with a little bronze-i-ness, that I could never have achieved in the outdoors........

Well, health is what i choose now, and that means every 3 months I have to visit my Dermatologist for a FULL BODY CHECK, which usually includes a few new skin biopsies, and then the dreaded week-long wait for the results, where I go through mental trauma and horrible dream sequences of not being here to watch my kids grow up and experience life!

So, today I choose to celebrate, and stress to all my friends & family, young and old, the HUGE importance of protecting our skin, and our children's skin, wearing sunscreen EVERY DAY, and reapplying it every couple of hours!!!!

Believe me, you don't want to have to look at little scars all over your body every day to have to remind you how important this little step is!!!

And on a lighter note, here is my little Cooper trying to chase the kitty OUT of the house, and luring her to the door with Calcium & Cheddar Goldfish! ........cause 'Bella Boots' likes 'em Mom-ma!! DUH!!!!

Oh Doggies! Our Mukluks!(don't ask!)

2008-01-18T08:30:00.000-06:00

A few members of our family that have been slightly ignored the past few months really deserve a 'shout -out'!

Parker (aka ParkerPosey)-Sweet, sensitive,treat-lover, and loving,loving,loving,loving........and almost 5 years old!!! Happy Birthday darling!

And this is our precious Mazy (aka Mazy-Moozer)- Lovebug,giver,athletic,treat-lover and NOSY!!!!! Love ya, girl!