Brown County 2008

Well, we survived another year at Brown County with the extended Cooper family. With a two year old, 2 three year olds, 2 six year olds, a 2 month old, and a 4 month old - there was never a dull moment! Brown County has such great memories for me with all my cousins (we've been going for over 25 years now) that i'm excited to experience the fun with my children. I'm looking forward to exploring the park and finding new things to do with them as they grow up.

The Abe Martin Lodge added a water attraction this year which we attended every day!

There is a zero entry pool with fountains, a lazy river, a water slide, and a volleyball area. (Sorry-this is the best picture I got on my camera!) We took little table and chairs for the little kids to eat on.

It was a huge hit and, of course, a great photo op!

Bubbles!

Watch out! There is a car coming!

Horse back riding this year... This is as close as Grace would get to riding a pony, and as close as I'd let Cooper get to riding a pony! I think he'd have done it - he was so interrested in watching them!

Jason, Ben, and Laura took a 30 minute ride. I think they all had a great time! (Not exactly how I remember my last trail ride...)

Checking out the playgrounds in the state park.

Ben and Laura headed south for the mountains, on their bikes, after the weekend.

Over the weekend you may have seen any number of poeple on the back of a bike....Jason, Shelby, Grace, Cooper... ?!?!

Always make time for a family pose!

On an additional note...

Cooper had his 4 month check up today and is perfect! He weighs in at 14 pounds 13 oz and is 26 1/4 inches long! That puts him in the 50th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for heighth! Because he is rolling from back to front and he likes to stand - the doctor commented that he must think he is a 6 month old already! He is happy all the time and eating well. We are starting to try to put him down unswaddeled and awake and hoping he'll stretch out sleep at night. (This is one of my least favorite times of infancy! I hate to hear him cry!)

Try and stay cool this week! Aunt Monica is home this week, so I'm sure I'll have lots more pictures to post next week too!

~shelby

Happy 4th of July!

Cooper does NOT like to lay back, so the bouncy seat got put away!

We started out our 4th weekend with a trip to the Marion park. Grace hurt her foot right off the bat, so the swing was the activity of choice after that! She had trouble walking on it the rest of the day, but is recovering just fine now.
Marc and Mel Curless joined us that evening for burgers and dogs, and s'mores.
We also splurged on $3 worth of fireworks to do at home rather than try and keep the kids up and out to see big ones that night. Grace loved the little poppers and the sparklers.

On Saturday we went with the Curless' to the Gas City Park and fed the animals.

We also had a wonderful picnic that Mel packed and made a dessert stop at Ivanhoes!

(And of course a quick drive through of the Taylor campus.)

Photo time!

Cooper is 3 1/2 months and Grace is 22 months.

(Tim says she is 2 years old, but she is NOT...yet)

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' !

Cooper is three months old and doing great! He started rolling from back to front this week and is now unstopable!

Happy Father's Day!

Love...

You...

Dad!


Tim got some Oreos as part of his Father's Day gift and taught Grace how to dunk them in milk! What Fun!!

Cooper Family Swim Party
Those Coopers who could make it came for a swim party to celebrate Father's Day. It was a perfect day for a swim ... or ...
...a chance to watch others swim!


And other stuff we have been up to...

Pool Season has arrived!

Cooper found his hand this week!

Strawberry Festival Parade - Go Colts!

Uncle Bob and Aunt Mitzi were kind enough to let us show our Colt's Spirit on their float this year. Grace did a great job, waving her pom-pom and yelling "Go Colts!". She liked waving at the people and especially at those she knew! Cooper hung out with the rest of the Pilgrims along the parade route. (He also was decked out in his Colt's gear!)

Bible School - Jerusalem Market Place

At Bible School last week I was the Co-Director, Tim was the playground leader, and Grace was the village orphan. :) We were able to be outside 3 of the 5 evenings, where Grace could wander around and visit the "shops". Thanks to those who let her hang out with them for a time! Her favorites were the candy shop and the jewerly shop (where they had baskets of beads!). She also liked the Water cooler... She got into the dancing as well! It was a blessed week and she was very excited to see Jesus when he arrived on Friday night - well, until he tried to give her a hug!!

Hot Summer Days

"Gracie swaddled, too!!!"

Ok, my mom had a flash back while my dad was holding Cooper last week and went to the photo albums to recall...

This is me

This is Cooper!

FREAKY!!!

Grace's first tatoo. How fitting it would be a Pop Tart tatoo!

A favorite for breakfast on the run!

(Or "Top Part" as she calls them!)

We made a trip to Manchester to visit Aunt Margaret this week.

And stopped to visit Grandpa Gene on the way home.

Finally the pool was ready! It reached 80 degrees so Tim and Grace gave it a try. I guess she loved it and likes to hang out on the steps. (I didn't see much as I went in and took a nap while Cooper was asleep!)

Somerset Days this weekend. Our first ever parade!

Cooper liked the Lion's Club little cars that went by!

Cooper continues to do well. He gained a pound in a week according to our check up at Riley last week! This was our first regualr check up and he is doing fine. We go back in September as we now start regulating his medicine. My heart still breaks for him every time I give him his medicine, he has to have blood drawn, or we walk into Riley as I just wish I could take this away for him and have it myself, but he is such a perfect baby and joy to have around! I know he is going to be fine!

He loves to watch Grace and does NOT like to lay his head back! So we got out the Bumbo seat and exer-saucer today. He loves them!

Grace "helped" me plant our garden this week and we potted some flowers today.

We headed straight for the hose when we were finished!!

(You can't see it well, but she had rubbed the potting soil all over her belly!)
Hot Summer days