Water

Hey Dad, if you're wondering what we'll do in order to beat the heat this summer, odds are you can find us here.............

Introductions.

Once again, Cruz is watching big bro. Be patient little guy, your time will come.

Wrestling and tickling in the shade with Gpa Pat can be equally as fun.

This fun spot will definitely be part of our cool down circuit this summer!

Eggs?

Little C wasn't quite ready for a full on hunt just yet but it was pretty obvious that soon he will be................

Watching Big Bro very carefully........

Must. Get. Eggs.

Is Big Bro watching?

Eggs are FUN!

Eggs

We're back in Sunny St. George and missing Daddy. We're doing our best to keep ourselves busy to help fill the void somewhat. Luckily we've had help from Gpa Pat and Gma Linda and this other dude known as The Easter Bunny!

Three!!!

Tweedle-LEE-Dee, Cooper is THREE!!! Last Monday was Coop's birthday and we had a fantastic day celebrating. As the "3's" have approached, it has been hit or miss on how things might go. Usually, I have a fairy tale dream as to how things will go and often, they don't end up exactly as I hoped. But that wasn't the case on Coop's special day! It was truly one of the best days we've shared as a family in a very long time. Everyone was happy, no tantrums and there was CAKE. How could you have a bad day when there's cake involved?

We spent the big birthday weekend in Fort Collins. Cooper referred to our hotel as, 'Cooper's Hotel'. Cooper was definitely 'in da house'. He strutted around the place like he owned it. Whenever we pulled into the parking lot he would announce 'we're back at Cooper's hotel'. He also loved the fact that he had his own pool. We swam every afternoon.


The big day was jammed packed. We started off at a place called, Cool Beans. A brilliant place it was. It was a coffee shop/cafe/indoor play gym. What a great idea! The parents can get all hopped up on coffee while their little kidlets get all hopped up on fun.


Then we moved on to McDonald's PlayLand. Fun, but kind of a disappointment after Cool Beans. It was kind of old, run down (surprise) and CROWDED (duh). But Coop didn't seem to mind.


After lunch, it was off to a giant park and then back to the hotel for swimming, cake and presents.


Some things Cooper said throughout the day:

• "This is the best birthday ever!"




• "It's my BIRTHDAY!"




• "Oooohh, I love my Prize! (I think he meant present)"

A pretty special day for a pretty special boy! Happy Birthday Big C!!!!!!!

Birthday muffin.

Birthday loot.

Birthday fun (Cool Beans)

Birthday park.

Birthday wish.

Birthday trains.

Birthday hat. (Courtesy of our hotel when Coop announced upon check-in that it was his BIRTHDAY!)

Oh Deer

The hospitality in this town is amazing. We were greeted so warmly when we first arrived so it was only fitting that we'd have a similar farewell on our last day in Estes Park. This time it was the local deer.

Tomorrow we head to Fort Collins for the weekend to close out our visit to Colorado. It's bittersweet because it's also our last weekend with Daddy. We're going to soak up our last weekend (for awhile) as a family and celebrate Coop's Birthday!!!! Farewell Estes Deer. Take good care of our Daddy.............

I swear they noticed us.

A little closer.

These guys really made themselves comfortable around us.

Then a birdy came to say farewell.

(This post is turning kind of Bambi-esque. I promise Thumper isn't going to show up in the next picture. That would be pretty cool though.

Cruz checking it all out.

Horrible picture quality but I love how it captures "deer in the headlights" x 2.

Bunny Suit

Hippity, hoppity, Easter is on it's way..............

Last fall, my Mom sent Cruz the cutest little bunny suit. It was much too big at the time to wear for Halloween so I packed it away for future use (hoping it might just work for Easter). It now fits perfectly and is ooooohhhh so snuggly and warm.

Since we will be in Southern Utah (aka hot desert climate) for Easter, it will more than like be far too warm to wear on Easter. Bummer........

But this morning we woke up to this.................................

So I figured the time was right..........................

Cruz seemed to like it.

And suddenly I couldn't help but think of this.................................

And then Coop insisted he get in on the action..................

And I couldn't help but think of this.................................

Mission accomplished: Cute little suit was put to good use.

Unfit?

I debated posting this..BUT..I just had to so it will be forever embedded in my pee little excuse for a brain. Once again, I have to ask how in the heck Mark ever leaves me alone with our children????

Before you go turning me in to CPS, let me preface this story with the fact that no little Cruzi Woozi's were injured in the development of this story.

Scene 1: Daddy climbs into hot tub and makes sure it is at a suitable toddler temperature (I had to add that so you wouldn't have another reason to turn me in). We didn't want to turn Big C into Coop Soup.

Scene 2: Mommy stays inside with Big C while we wait for the hot tub to be prepped. Big C is excited and looks oh soooo cute in his baggy swim suit (totally irrelevant to the story...but must be said because I can't get over how stinkin' cute he looks. Plumber crack and all).

Scene 3: Mommy quickly whisks Big C into hot tub with Daddy while Little C happily plays on the floor inside. It is very windy outside so we avoided any opportunity for Big C to have to stand outside and expose his plumber crack unnecessarily.

Scene 4: Mommy decides she ABSOLUTELY MUST have a photo to capture this precious moment of her boys chillin' in the hot tub. Then again, ANY moment with Daddy is precious. I feel the need to capture them all! Only 1 more week of Daddy time so I must capture every precious moment. EXTRA addition to the quick scene: Daddy rolling eyes that Mommy wants to take another photo. Scene 4 is abruptly CUT (sound of screeching needle being pulled from the record on the turntable) as Mommy slams door to condo shut so that the wind won't sneak in the house and chill Little C (I add that to show compassion as to why I would possibly think it was a good idea to shut the door). Daddy quickly exclaims, "you didn't just lock us out of our condo did you????"

Scene 4 turns into Scene 5, 6, 7, 8 and what feels like the END OF THE WORLD to Mommy. The Condo may as well been on fire with a rabid armadillo sitting beside my precious baby!!!! Oh My God, Oh My God. We have no keys, no phone, no visible neighbors and My Baby, did I mention the part about MY BABY?!?! I ring a couple of door bells..no answer. Truly, I didn't give anyone long enough to answer as I ran to the next door, and then the next...Daddy then calmly explains that he can see Little C through the window. YES, he's visible and YES, he's crying and NO, he's not choking on anything...GO TO THE HOTEL across the street and call the condo company. Side note: (just to add a little drama to the already drama filled scene). The hotel across the street is the, Stanley Hotel famous for inspiring Stephen King to write, The Shining(fitting).

Scene (what now feels like) 2,677: Mommy runs across the street through elk poop and snow in her socks to the hotel. The Princess, Angel, Mother Theresa, Penelope Cruz (just because I like her too) Fabulous Being of a Front Desk Woman let me use their phone and yellow pages. I called the Condo Company and the nice kid that answered the line said he was the only one on duty but he'd find someone right away to come over. It was 7:30pm on a Sunday night! I can't believe anyone was even there to answer! Especially during off season. But who cares about Rocky Mountain Rentals superior staffing and working hours! Long story short, someone came to our rescue in a matter of maybe 10 minutes (tops) and my baby was saved!!!!!!!

Final Scene (and an ending I wouldn't have wanted any other way): Mommy runs into Condo, swoops up crying baby into her arms and smothers him with kisses. Baby instantly stops crying like any other time he is finally picked up.

Deleted Scenes (that would be on the bonus section of the DVD release):

1. 
   
   Mommy bitting her nails while waiting for our rescuer and staring in through the window at her baby crying on the floor. Side Note: he's often crying to be held or picked up even when we're in the same room. But never before WHILE LOCKED INSIDE ALL BY HIMSELF!


2. 
   
   Daddy also looking in on baby while sitting in the hot tub.


3. 
   
   Big C telling Mommy, "don't be nerbous, Mommy"..."just ring our doorbell"..When did he learn the word nervous? And how does he recognize that emotion???? This conveys just how "nerbous" Mommy must have looked"


4. 
   
   Daddy lecturing Mommy about "YOU and your camera". All while remaining cool, calm and collected while Chicken Little ran around like the sky was falling.

No pictures where taken before during or after this incident. It just wouldn't have been appropriate since Mommy's camera was the cause of the whole ordeal.

Will this stop me from trying to capture precious moments with my family especially while trying to grasp the idea that Mark is going to miss so many moments while we are apart this summer? Probably not. I will put myself in check to make sure I'm actually savoring the moment rather than worrying about whether or not we have a picture to go with it.

There is truly only one picture that is worthy of closing this post.

Happy Baby! Can I keep him? Pleeeaaaaaseee! Maybe one more photo. Mark politely informed me this morning on his way out the door that he hid our extra key under our doormat. I figured I'd post this so you wouldn't worry that this might happen again :).

Yes Mark, I really did take a picture of the key you hid under the doormat. It was photo worthy in order to "capture the moment".