Happy Birthday Ben!

We celebrated Ben's birthday two weekends ago by playing paintball on Saturday and then having lunch at the farm on Sunday. The kids did a good job while Daddy played paintball (I'm not going in there - are you crazy? Those things hurt!) and Grace had fun helping with the candles on the awesome cake Aunt Laura made!

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY UNCLE BEN!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Wind storms and Coolness

Remember that wind storm last week? It totally destroyed our play house! (It was mostly together on the lower deck before the storm.) Fortunately it is very sturdy and will just snap back together when the weather is warm!

After an evening of scrapping at church last weekend I was motivated to finish a plaque for my bedroom I have been planning to make. I also received my "Scami" angel holding two babies, from my mom. I love the addition to my walls!

"Your children will become what you are;

So, be what you want them to be."

There is hope for my husband...

While shopping for new sunglasses for Grace, he picked up a pair for Cooper! They were on sale and he thought Cooper would look cool in them! I am glad to know my deal hunting and style for cuteness might be rubbing off on him! Aren't these two too cool?!

On Sunday on the way home Tim and I were discussing lunch plans. Grace often asks, "What you talking about, guys?" So we questioned her what we should have for lunch. She informed us it should be corn dogs, applesauce, green beans, and chips! Tim's response:

"That sounds great!

(And then to me...) Boy, your job just keeps getting easier and easier, doesn't it?!"

Oy.

Other fun stuff

We've been up to other fun stuff with fellow bloggers. Check us out our cookie fun at the Rigney's and MOPS play time the Mahan's!

And the 100th Post goes to....

Happy Birthday Great-Great Aunt Margaret!

We celebrated Aunt Margaret's birthday last weekend with a family party. It was a pizza and cupcake party, and it was good!!

Grace got some coloring advice from Grandpa Gene.
Grandma Patty taught some impromptu piano lessons...
...and tried to learn to juggle.
Cooper thought she was GREAT!!!
And, there were some rhythm lessons! Who knew you could make music with Styrofoam cups?!?!

SUPER BOWL PARTY 2009...

YEA STEELERS!

There were crafts, snacks, and weenies on toothpicks! What fun!

And, of course, 3D Fun! (actually, it wasn't all that 3D)

Cooper Update...

We had a check up at Riley today and Cooper is doing well. He ran a fever in the night as we all have colds, but did very well all day. He is growing fine - a little light, but I'm not supposed to worry. (Yea, right. But, then again, look at his dad!) Fortunately we have our one-year well-baby check up next month and I can try and fatten him up by then. Grace spent the day with Grandma Jackie and out at the farm with Grandma and Grandpa and had a really good time. She was a little disappointed that she couldn't go with us to "Indianampolis" and tried to change my mind by saying, "Actually, I have a cough." And while now she does have a cough and a low fever, it was not Riley-worthy! Praise the Lord!

This and That

Cooper is now 10 1/2 months old and still a pretty happy guy. He has yet to start talking, but we get a lot of yelling, aka "baby cussing" at us! He definitely has a temper when he doesn't get his way and can get crabby if I am in the kitchen without him or if he is tired - which he often is because he won't nap more than 40 minutes! But we are having tons of fun as he loves to play with anyone!

The kids LOVE their tunnel. It is just as much fun to fall on it and try and bite it as it is to crawl through it.

Yes, I will again try anything to keep the food out of the hair!!

At a bridal shower the other day the kids got to play in a big box with their cousins. It was a good time!!

Every now and then Grace shows up in her skates. She is getting pretty good at them!

Grace checking Cooper's temperature.

Tim and Grace's impression of a daddy penguin and his baby - Grace is standing in front of him on his feet. :) (She wouldn't stand still long enough to get her feet in the picture - shocker!)

Cooper loves to feed himself. We're trying to get him to sign "more" and "eat", but he just YELLS at us and often give us a look that says, "Are you kidding me with this? You people know what I want! Give it to me, now!!" This is him just enjoying the messy moment.

Jaunuary was busy!

We kept busy in January helping Margaret settle into a nursing home (please continue to pray for her as we still don't know if she will have to stay long term or if she will be well enough to come stay with us), going to gymnastics, school activities, and master's classes, just to name a few! I've finally found some time to get pictures off of my camera and a few minutes to blog about our fun. Cooper is like a moth to a flame when the computer is turned on so I have to wait until he is sleeping to get anything done here. I have several posts to do, so it may take me a few days to get caught up.

First of all we have been enjoying the snow as much as we can. Tim and Grace went sledding, and she helped me shovel the sidewalk one day. Tim actually had a snow day and he's enjoyed several delays. We like having him around in the mornings!

A couple of fun stories...

Grace had her shoes on the wrong feet as we were getting ready to leave one afternoon, and when I pointed it out to her, she said, matter of factly, "No, I want to wear them funny." ?!?!

On Monday's we go to gymnastics in the evening. I was telling her she and I were going to run some errands and go to dinner before gymnastics, when she questioned where Cooper would be. I told her that he was going to stay home with Daddy. She responded with, "So, just the girls are going out? And the boys are staying home?" ?!?!?

She also said, that night as I was strapping her into her car seat, "I love you." She said it first! She's never done that before and it was very cool!

Tim has been keeping busy with his on line classes and learned yesterday that if he plans to do work at school, he should not forget anything as working at home can sometimes be difficult...

That would be Cooper on the way to the computer and Grace building a funeral pyre over his foot!