The Cookie Tree

Last night we decided to again try to start a tradition for our Christmas. When Kyle was growing up he had a very fond memory of the "Cookie Tree". They would decorate sugar cookies to hang on the tree and then each night they got to choose a cookie and they did this all the way up until Christmas.
We had tried to start this in our little family a couple years ago when Parker was small....it didn't work out well. Parker was mad that he had to put the cookies on the tree and couldn't just eat them. He didn't want to frost them, he just wanted to lick his fingers. AND if that wasn't enough "candies not for cookies", is what he kept saying while we were trying to stick candy lights on the tree cookies.
So last night we did it with Parker and Zoey with Cooper watching intently. This year it was Zoey's turn to be more interested in the eating then the actual decorating, but at least they are both very excited to decorate the tree with cookies.
Parker also ask if Santa was going to eat these cookies or if he got some of his own. I told him that Santa would get his own fresh plate of cookies on Christmas Eve and ask him what he thought Santa's favorite cookies are. Parker insisted that Chocolate Chip are Santa's favorite...AND that Santa wouldn't mind sharing with him when we made them.
I'm looking forward to finishing our Cookie tree today.....and a very fun and funny Christmas with my crazy kids!

I'm Back!!!

So as anyone who knows me will tell you....I dissapear from time to time. I have however come back among the "on top of it women" and I'm now updating my blog. I will tell you that I have been away so long only because I have three children now, and it was more of an adjustment that I had anticipated. I am only NOW getting into what seems to be a schedule...and he's five months old.

These pictures are from a photo session we did for my parents 40th wedding anniversary. Cooper was just about three weeks old, and was the best for the event out of the three children. Cooper was born on June 10th at 8:00 am by yet again another c-section. He came out and wasn't breathing well, so there was some concern there, but about an hour after I got into my room, they said everything looked good and would bring him to me as soon as they could. Two and a half hours later I finally got to see my baby. That is a long time to make a mother wait, and I was not happy about it. Cooper was born on a week that was filled with rain...and flooding. It was perfect for me, because I got to sit in my room and stare out the window at the beautiful shade of green everything had turned, and I got to hold my Cooper and talk with him by myself.

Cooper is now five months old and is growing so much faster than my other two did. Not sleeping as well as they did, but he's growing. He started rolling over at 4 months old, and is almost crawling now, if he could figure out how to get his head off the floor at the same time his knees are moving. I don't know if it's because he's my last baby, or because he's so easy going, but he seems to be a little more patient with me, as I am with him.

Zoey is 2 and a half now, and she is ALL girl. I did not know that girls could be so tempermental. She can be the most loving child at times, and the most irratable the rest of the time. She is however the sweetest girl when it comes to giving her brothers and Kyle and I love. She loves to give kisses and then she will tell you how much you love kisses. She also LOVES to dance. This girl will dance to any form of music and loves to have the radio going most all of the day....just like mama! Our favorites to dance to are "I got a feeling" by the Blackeyed Peas, "Party in the USA" Miley Cyrus, and "You belong to me" Taylor Swift. I love my little girl and I can't wait to do all the fun GIRL things with her. She's got me and Kyle wrapped around her little finger.

Finally there's our little man Parker. He started Kindergarten in September and he has grown up before my eyes. He is SO stinking good at math. He loves numbers and figuring things out...just like his daddy! He loves his teacher and has become espically popular with the little girls in his class. I can already tell that I'm going to have to keep an eye out for these girls when he gets older, because if Parker is anything like his dad, he will be oblivious to the advances of the female persuassion.

We're looking forward to the holidays...and I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and updating my blog more often!

I can't breathe!

We are in the countdown to baby number three everyone, and I have to say there are more can'ts right now than can's.

I can't breathe. I don't know what it is about Parker and this last little guy, but they seem to want to reside up as high as they possibily can. I have more chest pain than with either of the other two and my lungs feel as if they never fully get oxygen.

I can't sit...or stand....or lay down without some form of pregnancy pain. If it's not the little guy inside me giving me pain it's his older brother and sister jumping onto my belly, or just trying to lay on me.

I can't eat. If I do eat something I get heartburn about two minutes after, if I don't eat, I get nautious and throw up. Or if I do eat there is a nasty aftertaste that makes me even more sick to my stomach.

I can't wait to be done with the whole pregnancy thing. I have enjoyed being pregnant, and I love my kids, and if it didn't hurt so much and cause me increased amounts of stress, I would probably have a couple more....but I cannot tell you the great feeling it is to know that this for us right now is it. Two boys and a girl is AWESOME for me and I wouldn't have it any other way.

On a lighter note, I CAN tell everyone of my friends that reads this that I really REALLY appreciate the help that I've gotten over the past few months. About three weeks ago I had to start with a weekly visit and stress tests for the baby, which take no longer than three and a half hours. I have gotten so much help with my kids and so many listening ears that I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have such great people around me....Family too!!

44 days left until Cooper makes his debut.....but then again who's counting, oh wait....ME!

Catchin' Up

So it's been MONTHS since I did anything on this page....so here's an update for our family.

Kyle started school again last week to get his Masters!! I'm so excited for him. He's been wanting to do it for awhile, and now that work is paying for half of it, it's a great time to do it. Parker has been loving the warm weather, so when he woke up this morning and it was cold and snowy, he came into my room and said MOM!! What is going on out there? I told him that I was sorry but it just got cold again, to which he replied "Well sorry doesn't fix it."

Zoey has also been loving the warm weather as well and has loved following daddy around the backyard while he does some cleanup and such. She runs from one end of the yard to the other, then screams when it's time to come in.

As for me, I am pregnant...enough said. I love having kids and the being pregnant part, but I wish they had a really good pill for all the aches and pains that go along with it. For those that don't know we are having a boy, and have decided to name him Cooper Jay Rands. It took A LOT of talking Parker into that name. He was convinced that his name was Rufus. Don't ask me where he got that name or who told him that was his brother's name, but we would ask him DAILY about names and he would say No we're going to call him Rufus. I don't know about anyone else but Rufus Rands was nowhere in my book...NOWHERE. So it took a lot of talking and telling him that he could call his little brother Lil' Coop, and he could be Big Park, but he's finally on board with the name Cooper.

So that's what's happening with us, and for anyone that knows me I can't post on here without adding a picture, so I found some pictures that John Y. took of my kids awhile ago, and I can't get over how dang good my kids look. We're doing some family pictures after we get Cooper here, so I'll get more on here, but I just had to show these.

If I do say so myself...I have some really good looking kids

Third times the Charm

I wanted to update those that don't know and those that were speculating....We are pregnant again. Due in June. I need to stop drinking the water around here.

Christmas Memories

So this mom has gone from bad to worse when it comes to keeping up with things. Yes Virginia, we did have a christmas and it was great. Parker is trying to explain to Zoey what is going on. He told her that they were going to get presents and toys...as you can she it was a very intriguing conversation.

This was our Christmas card photo this year, and yes, Kyle and I are not in it (see other blog for my thoughts on that :) ) I did think my kids took a great picture this year. They are both so grown up and they let me mess with them a little more this year.

During the holidays, Parker's pre-school got to have breakfast with Santa. He was so excited, and even shared the experience with his sister without getting mad. I do have to say the chance to sit with the big kids at the table was Zoey's favorite part.

I did enter the gingerbread house contest at the Gale Center again this year. Parker loves to sit at the table and watch me and ask me millions of questions, and Zoey wanted to just eat everything that I was trying to work on. We had a great holiday season this year and I look forward to next year's mayhem.