Merry Everything (and Happy Always!)

Here's this year's holiday letter and picture. Happy Holidays Everyone!
So I’ve fallen asleep on the couch again. My husband is still sleeping on the sectional next to me. His open-mouth breathing/snoring smells of dinner, the first one we’ve had together as a family in probably a couple of weeks. The last thing I remember was sitting down to write the Christmas letter. My husband, good man that he is, no make that great man that he is, has put both children to bed and has come downstairs to stay with me until I wake up. Now it’s quite late in the night, Law & Order is playing on the TV and I’ve found a bowl of ice cream. Just like last year’s letter.
But I can’t help but think about all the things I didn’t know last year when I stayed up to write our Christmas letter. I didn’t know that we were pregnant with our little girl, my mom would be diagnosed with breast cancer or that Chris would be forced to go through months of job transitions. I didn’t know that two children that look so much alike as infants would have completely different poos, that going back to work after maternity leave would ever be such a struggle or that I would ever find anyone I would trust to leave our kids with besides their grandmother down the street. I didn’t know that 38 is the year when you officially become your mother or that an extra can of Diet Dew and coat of mascara could no longer cover up a missed night of sleep. I certainly wouldn’t have thought that I would be the last of my oldest and dearest friends to succumb to Facebook (well, not quite yet) or how horrible I would be at returning email and phone calls to those I care about the most. I didn’t know that two children is so much harder and better than you ever think it will be or how arrogant and naive I was to think I could handle it.
I didn’t know that Cooper would be a songwriter (His two favorites: “No Hold Baby Elia” and “Broken Candy Cane”) or at two (now three) years old he would wake up in the middle of the night to sneak online! I didn’t know that in his mind: Santa, Grammy and Grampy, Jesus and Uncle Jarret are all “too far away” or that he would try to call his Grandpa Cooper on the phone. I didn’t know that watching my children sleep could move me to tears or having “Dance Party” with the neighbor girls would be one of my favorite things to do. I didn’t know how little there is to see from one end of South Dakota to the other nor how much Cooper would enjoy visiting “The Guys” a.k.a. Mt. Rushmore. I didn’t know how much I would rely on my coworkers at school to get me through my pregnancy and how incredibly stupid it would be to try to start the school year, set-up the classroom and do initial parent conferences with a full-term belly. It’s no wonder Elia Jane came a day early during my first week of classes. You should see her smile. Really, it’s life-changing.
So now with the ice cream gone and Law & Order over I know there’s a list on the counter 3 pages long of things I want to over accomplish this holiday season and how really trivial all of it really is. No matter what next year holds I think as long as there are two kids sleeping upstairs, my husband snoring on the couch beside me and a Law & Order playing on the TV, everything will be okay and is just enough just as it is. And a bowl of ice cream wouldn’t hurt either.

one,two, THREE

I am now 3 years old. Once I get the habit of showing people 2 fingers for how old I am, I now have to add a 3rd finger. My family got together to have a birthday party for me. I had so much fun seeing everyone,eating cake and getting some pretty cool gifts from everyone. Unfortuneaty mom and dad and to go buy stock in batteries. One of my cook presents was a digital camera, so soon you will see pictures from my point of view and not always mom and dads. Now that I am 3 it is time to look ahead to the next big event Christmas. Stay tuned because you will soon meet "Buddy the Elf". He comes out soon to watch everything I do and then reports back to Santa every night. But you will find out more in my next blog.

Love to all, Cooper

Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been awhile since my last entry. Here is the scoop, being a big brother is hard work. I now have to share with my little sister. It is kind of tough because my mom and dad have to share their attention between Elia and myself. Since my last blog, I went trick or treating, and had a wonderful time. I have also have gone swimming at my dads new work. Mom went back to work last week and this week we started short term day-care. Okay to catch you up on the last couple months here are som new pictures.

Cooper

Cooper's Singing Debut

The other day, I was sitting on the couch with baby Elia singing to her and dad pulled out the camera. Enjoy my rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

OMG! APPLE HEAVEN

If anyone knows me, they know that I love apples. I could eat 3 or 4 apples a day if my mom and dad would let me. In fact I love it when I open the refrigerator door, the apples are at a place where I can get them without any help. When I was little, mom and dad would have to cut them up, now I can eat them all by myself.

A couple of weeks ago, mom and dad said that we were going to take a little trip to the orchard. I didn't know what an orchard was, but I got ready, mom and dad got Elia ready and off we went. We drove to Minnesota Harvest in Jordan, and we were not the only ones who decided to go to the orchard that day it was really busy there.

Once at the orchard, we went to look at the horses, boy they are a lot bigger than on TV. We then went to stand in line to take a wagon ride. The wagon took us back by all kinds of trees. Guess what was on the trees? APPLES!!! We got off the wagon and started walking down the rows of apple trees. Then dad started taking apples off the trees and put them in a bag. Dad told me I could go take apples also, so off I went to find a tree with apples I could reach. I found a lot of apples to pick. Then, dad said I could eat an apple. I looked at him and I didn't believe him. Finally, I took a bite, then another and another and soon my apple was gone. Then guess what? Dad said, I could have another apple. Soon the wagon came returned and we had to head back to the orchard store to buy the big bag of apples we had picked.

We finally left the orchard and mom and dad said we were going to go find pumpkins. Here are some pictures of my day picking apples and pumpkins.

Love to all,
Cooper

Thanks Friend!!!

A Couple of weeks ago a friend of my dad's came over to take pictures of baby Elia. Ben Dodds is the Area Director for Young Life, but he is also an awesome photographer. He did a great job of taking pictures of Elia. Here is his website, if you are looking at getting any pictures taken, my dad would highly recommend him and so would I. (and while I am at it hi Sutton and Shaeffer)
Check out his website at: http://www.bdphotography.blogspot.com/


Peace!

Friends Visit My Little Sister

Elia is born and soon people are everywhere. "Let me hold her, let me hold her." As Charlie Brown says "GOOD GRIEF." Okay she is pretty cute and easy to snuggle with. So here are some pictures of our friends with Elia Jane.

Love to you all,
Cooper

I am now a BIG brother!

As you can tell over the past few months I have mentioned that I have a little sister on the way. I have changed rooms, moved into a big boy bed and now as of September 11, 2008 at 7:01pm, I became a big brother. That is right, Elia (pronounced L-EE-Ah) Jane, became my little sister. The first time I saw her I was so excited, I had to hold her and grab the stethoscope and check for her pulse. I admit it was a hard 4 days while mom and dad were in the hospital, but thanks to friends and family like Lori, Scott, Linda, Kori, Zach, Grandma, Auntie Dana, Uncle Perry, and Grammy and Grampy i survived. Baby Elia came home Sunday and life began as a family with one more. Baby Elia, eats, sleeps, eats, sleeps, eats, goes to the bathroom, eats...... you get the point. I have to say I am a pretty good big brother. I know I have to work at it a little it more, but I think I am doing a pretty good job. So with this entry my blog name will stay the same, but It will be about me and my little sister. Here are some pictures.


Love Cooper

My New Room!!!!

Okay a month ago, I wrote that I would be putting pictures on my blog about my new room. Well dad was slacking and finally got around to taking pictures for me. (he won't let me touch his camera) So here are pictures of my new room. With my baby sister on the way, mom and dad thought it would be cool to give me a brand new big boy room. So little sister will get my old room and I get my BLUE room.

Here is a little tour of my room. First off, I got this cool loft bed. Can you believe a 2 1/2 year old with a loft, I am just like the college kids and I bet my room is twice as big as those North Central Dorm rooms. My loft has a play area underneath were I have a bean bag and big chalkboard. Across from my bed is a storage unit for all my toys, stereo, night light and pictures. Then mom being the cool teacher she is, put a craft corner in for me, with crayons and pencils. Mom said when I get older she will put markers out for me. And finally my name is above the closet. Well enjoy the pictures everyone.

Love Cooper

Vacation To South Dakota

Last weekend, Mom, Dad and I took a vacation to South Dakota. Dad volunteers for the Arthritis Foundation and they had him go to Rapid City to teach a workshop and Mom and I decided to go with. We hopped in the car Friday morning and off we went. Instead of driving all the way to Rapid City we drove to Sioux Falls and spent the night at a hotel. I went swimming with dad and tried to do my best Michael Phelps, but I have a long way to go.

The next morning we got up and went to the local zoo, I saw lots of relatives, I mean animals. My favorites were the giraffe with his long tongue, the smelly monkeys and the goats which ate out of my hand. After a few hours at the zoo, I was pooped and we got back in the car and started towards Rapid City. I had just fallen asleep when the car stopped and mom and dad pulled me out to go show me the "Corn Palace" yep a palace made out of corn, what were mom and dad thinking? But I guess my dad went there when he was little so we had to stop.

Once back in the car, mom and I fell asleep while dad counted Wall Drug billboards, I think he got to 138 before we actually got to Wall, South Dakota and started walking through all the shops which make up that tourist stop. I am two and a half do my parents actually think I will walk through stores without touching anything?

After leaving Wall Drug, we drove another hour before reaching Rapid City and our hotel. Dad and I went swimming and then it was time for bed, since dad had his training the next day.

I could go on and on, but check out the pictures and you can tell what we did for the rest of the trip. If you have any questions, just write a comment and I will answer them all.

Love to all,
Cooper

4th of July Weekend

For the 4th of July weekend, Mom, Dad, Grandma and I hopped in the car and drove down to Tama, Iowa for a family reunion. The ride was pretty cool, because grandma was sitting next to me and I had the DVD Player in front of me. After 4 hours in the car we made it to Tama just as the sun was setting. Soon I was in the house with a number of family members and Uncle Jarret. Before I knew it, I had to go to bed, but not before playing with Darby and Lane. I could go on and on about all the fun I had that weekend but I would be here a long time. So instead here are some pictures of us outside playing in the water. I can't wait to see everyone again!!

Love Cooper