Wow!

Ladies and Gents, the last couple of weeks have been rough. Between little C's teething and Big C being three years old, I'm kind of going nuts. I had no idea 3yr olds were so hard. Terrible 2's really weren't that bad (comparatively speaking). Terrifying 3's on the other hand are just that....TERRIFYING.

Luckily, I have my parents to help out and I am beyond grateful for that. The last couple of days have been better as I think the 4 teeth that have been bothering poor Cruz (all at once) are finally making their appearance. Right now, my life is filled with keeping Cooper occupied so that he doesn't turn into Chuckie (which happens very quickly if we don't keep him amused).

Cruz is learning how to occupy himself all on his own. We now have to watch him like a hawk..............YIKES! Now I have 2 kids that can empty a toy box faster than green grass through a goose.



Don't get me wrong, Coop isn't always a jerk. This too shall pass. In the meantime, we're working on finding a common denominator so that we can live in harmony. Poor kid, it's hard being 3.

D.A.D.D.Y

Daddy surprised us with a quick visit this past weekend. Mark decided that this might be his last chance to sneak away for awhile before his crew goes on the boards and he has to be "fire ready". So Friday morning he decided to book a ticket for that evening and return back Sunday night. A very quick visit but we'll take what we can get. What a treat it was. Cooper was beyond excited and LOVED waking up to the sight of his Daddy.

Saturday was packed full of fun. First up, a morning walk in the stroller to a neighborhood pet festival. We saw miniature ponies, cows, tons of dogs, a doggy fashion show and some kitties. Then we had a picnic lunch at the park and played in the fountains and water. Later on we bbq'd and topped the evening off with a sunset cruise in the golf cart.

Sunday wasn't quite as fun (for Mark). The poor guy caught some type of flu bug/stomach thing. It was horrible that he was sooooooooo sick during his visit but we were glad that he was with us so that we could take care of him. Better to be sick with your loved ones then to be sick in the dorms (where he's currently living while in Colorado). Mark spent most of the day in bed while Cooper read him stories and quietly set up his train tracks by his Daddy's bedside. Mark tried to be a trooper but it was obvious just how sick he was. There was no way he could have hidden it.

Although we hated the fact that Mark was so sick, we still treasured our time together and can't wait for his next visit. The goal is to try and get at least 2 (maybe even 3) more visits in throughout the busy fire season.

We sure do appreciate our Daddy time!!

Sunday wasn't really a photo op kind of day but I did manage to take a picture of Coop's first face painting. He got a simple little paw print on his cheek at the pet festival. He was very proud of it and kept peeking at himself in the mirror throughout the day. Imagine the look of a guy that looks in the mirror and does the imaginary point to himself while saying "how you doin'?". Cooper didn't exactly do that but he had the same expression. Pretty cute.

Proud of his paw.

Two Turntables and a Microphone

(Except without the turntables or the microphone).

Cooper has been requesting his music more and more these days. "I want to listen to my MUGICK Mommy". He loves it. He's got quite the eclectic playlist too. Although I don't think he's ready for his own iTunes account just yet. Yikes, that could be scary.

Please excuse the paper towel on his head to make his "kid size" headphones fit better. I hope it doesn't ruin his street cred. That would be tragic to have happen already at such a young age.

Month #9

Little C is 9 months old! He's officially been on the "outside" longer than he was on the "inside" (about 4 days longer now). Time sure does fly (except in the middle of the night). We sure are lucky to have this little man to make us smile! I think we'll keep him.

Baby Brother(s)

I finally got to see my baby Brother, Ryan after more than 2 years! Ryan is home on leave from Afghanistan for 2 weeks and he and his family were nice enough to come to Southern Utah during his time off to spend some time with us. I know he wanted to see all of us but I also know how hard it is to see everyone when you're only home for a short time. We soooooooo appreciate the time we were able to spend with Ry and his family.

Cooper had been looking forward to this visit BIG TIME (and obviously so had my Mom, Dad and I). Other than occasional Skype visits, Cooper really didn't have a clue who his Uncle Ryan was (which truly breaks my heart). We hadn't seen Ry in person since Cooper was about 10 months old. I have no doubt that Coop knows who his Uncle Ryan is now. He's cousin Pete and Baby Charlie's Dad and a SUPER FUN GUY!!!!

Stroller Brigade

Grandma Linda with the Little Brothers and Aunt Jenny with the Big Brothers

My beautiful nephew, Charlie
A deep thinker and a sweet little man.

Babies lounging

Some of my favorite men.

Ryan and his boys.

I love this pic.

Coop and Pete simulating a drive to the airport.

Coop and Pete doing a little 4 Wheelin'

Thank-you for making the trek and for sacrificing some of your valuable HOME-TOGETHER-AS-A-FAMILY-OF-4 time in order to be with us. We know all to well how precious that time is and are so glad you get to enjoy your beautiful family for the next couple of weeks. I can't wait until September when you'll be home safe and sound and you guys can finally enjoy each other EVERY DAY!