united

more promptings

2012-02-06T12:00:00.001-06:00

maybe "i'm coming back to life" after having a baby
or something
cuz i've really been paying attention to the spirit and
listening to what i should be doing
how i can serve others
what i should do to help my kids
my sweet boy here is having a little hard time with his brother
he is a mature 5 1/2 year old
doesn't like to be pestered or have his things ruined
likes order
and loves to stay clean
those are a few things a 2 1/2 year old could care less about.
as i was doing the dishes (a great time to listen)
i thought, he is at school all day and when he comes home, cooper just bombards him
maybe he needs some down time
so i told him when he comes home from school
he gets to go into my room and lock the door
he can look at books, play or do whatever for 15 or so minutes
i said, "you probably need some 'brackon time'"
he was thrilled!!!
so we're gonna see if this helps a little
we're also going to pray that he'll have love in his heart for his brother
do more jobs "together"
and do some service for him
again, so grateful for this little prompting!
i'd be a lost mom without the holy ghost.

whisperings of the spirit

2012-02-04T21:59:00.005-06:00

i can't express how grateful i am for the holy ghost
it helps me on a daily, if not minute by minute basis
dusty has taken a new position within bayer so we will be moving
again.
yes.
here we go!
TENNESSEE
we just keep getting further and further away from our families
although!
dusty's grandparents live where we are moving to!
so we WILL have family close!! yipee!
back to these whisperings
we have been in limbo for about a year now as to dusty's job
thought we were moving to minnesota
maybe back to the north-west
maybe to south carolina
maybe we'll stay here and work for a different company
maybe maybe maybe
well. all those maybes can drive a girl CRAZY!
it finally got to the point where i wouldn't even get excited anymore
cuz two days later the "news" would change
talk about a ROLLERCOASTERwell.
one thing's for sure
the LORD knows ALL
after being tossed around
it was finally up to us
we could choose to follow the lord
or take the job with more money
we decided to go with what felt right in our HEART and our MIND
the LORD knows where we need to be
and he knows our future
all we have to do is trust.
and go where he wants us to go
even if we don't want to
i think i've made it past the BITTER stage
i was not a happy camper
i am so tired of moving
brack's in school, he loves it and his friends
cooper has a few buddies he constantly talks about
we are happy here

this week, we've been doing some researching
where to send brackon to school
can we buy a house
or should we rent
the list could go on and on

i decided to focus on the school situation
find a good school and then find a house close byall day, i had a prayer in my heart
just constant
thinking about options
i prayed to know if we should move close by grandparents and go to the school zone he's in
NOPE. didn't feel anything, more like a stupor of thought
well, crap.
i want to live close by him
guess what there are WAY TOO MANY schools to choose from
how would we ever decide on one

i call the school central office
(could barely understand her accent, i had to have her spell some words) lol.
i told them the address we wanted to live by and ask what school would that be
it was the EXACT and only school i felt he SHOULDN'T go to

now what?!
i keep praying
calling people and getting their opinions (those who live there local)
public schools are no good
i found a private Montessori school
decided to give them a call
the nicest lady (and i could actually understand her 'accent')
i got teary-eyed.
THIS is the school
how awesome!

we're going to go check it out next week.
and make sure it will work
i've recently heard of a couple other public schools that could be an option

do you know how the spirit speaks to you?
THAT's how it speaks to me most the time... i just get a little choked up

i was thinking also about where to live
just start to feel "this" area would be best
i called the bishop's wife (luckily there is only one ward)
she confirmed EVERY "prompting" i had
about the school
area to live and not live
i was amazed
it was truly a tender mercy

the lord knows us
and loves us
he is watching over us
he knows what is best for us.
i'm so grateful to be a member of this church.
even though i DO NOT want to move AGAIN
i have to do what the LORD wants me to do.

over the christmas break i went to the temple
strongly felt i was going to need to be supportive of dusty
and go where he feels best
everytime i doubt, this reminder keeps popping in my head.
so grateful for the spirit.

what matters most

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

i've constantly been having this phrase run through my mind lately.
WHAT MATTERS MOST?
and with the new year i've also been thinking of some things i want to work on and accomplish
i've never been too excited about new years resolutions
i always feel like i don't want to make a resolution
cuz what if i don't follow through with it
i started to make a list of everything i want to accomplish
and then decided that new years resolutions aren't really about what you want to accomplish
rather, what you want to become
so i decided i want to become someone who does things that MATTER MOST
a few things i really want to focus on this year are:

teaching gospel principles
serving others daily
enjoying moments with my boys

these things are what really matter most to me
i've started a scripture journal and am so excited to fill it up and learn more about the Gospel, my Savior and how to be a better mom
i know that if i'm spiritually prepared then when those "teaching moments" come
with my kids, i will be ready.

i want to start each day with a prayer asking how i can be a servant of the Lord
what would He want me to do this day?
who can i help?

there was a night when i was cooking dinner
and cooper got hurt
this sounds really bad, but normally i would just make sure he's okay
and then go on cooking dinner
i decided to just take a moment and hold him
i thought, this is WHAT MATTERS MOST

i have found that we can easily get caught up with wanting to do too many things
i want to focus on WHAT MATTERS MOST
i've learned that WHAT YOU DO daily is WHAT MATTERS MOST to you.
you ALWAYS get done WHAT MATTERS MOST to you. ALWAYS.

4 months

2012-01-23T21:00:00.003-06:00

everyone always says, "what a happy baby!"
and they're right
if he's fed and not tired, HE's HAPPY!
poor guy doesn't know what's coming next
he was actually 4 1/2 months at this appointment
a little chunk!
lots to love! :)
gray 4 month stats: 16 lbs 8 oz. 27 1/2 in. long
brack 4 months: 15 lbs 5 oz. 27 1/2 in. long
coop 4 months: 16 lbs 2 oz. 26 1/2 in. long (closer to 6 months)

surprise!

2012-01-23T20:51:00.002-06:00

my dad surprise me this weekend and came for a visit
it's been so fun having him here
and my boys getting to know him a little more!!
more on this surprise visit to come...

goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T23:00:00.002-06:00

it's been a whirlwind year for us
at the beginning of the year, bayer told dusty that his position was going away
he had until august to find a new position
he interviewed and interviewed
he turned down one opportunity in hopes that he'd get another (within the company)
and that one didn't work out
so, after gray was born (august), he went back to work
and still had a job.
interesting.
how does that work?!
needless to say, they've changed things up a bit and are now closing 2 of the 4 regional offices
dusty's office is closing the 31st of january
so that leaves us looking yet again.
only this time, we're pretty sure they'll hold to their word.
he's had countless interviews and we're still holding on to faith...

randomness

2011-12-28T21:52:00.000-06:00

here are some cute pics dust had on his phone

a haircut

2011-12-26T23:09:00.000-06:00

we've been growing this hair for half a year now (with a few trims)
brack finally decided to let it go
i will admit i cried
it started to become his little personality
but he was ready
thanks chan! for being my little photographer!!!

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T22:03:00.003-06:00

we went home for a couple weeks for christmas
my sisters, jana shelley and rachel, came to see us
we had a great time
with 10 kids under 8
it was a bit crazy
but fun!
thank heavens for paper products!
and sweet cousins to play with
oh so sweet!
let's see how many fingers we can squeeze in my little mouth
fruit loop necklaces
more food
and a little christmas caroling
this was my favorite part of chrismas!
it wasn't too cold, until the sun went down!and of course, gingerbread houses!
and fun with grandpa!
and christmas eve reading books
our friends gave us a recordable hallmark "The Night Before Christmas" book
dusty and i recorded our voices
the kids LOVED it
mason, on the left, just realized it was the book reading to them, not us!!!!
look how tired they are!
mr cooper's photography!
shell and i made these cute ties for our boys
wish we would've made something for cute little chan.here's some favorite pictures from unwrapping presents...
brack wanted nothing but LEGOS!!!!!!
cooper was so tired that i didn't get the reaction i wanted...
but he still had fun
it was so fun being with family
we had a great time
one day, we'll live close to family again.

ho ho ho

2011-12-24T20:19:00.001-06:00

santa came to dusty's work party
gray's first pic with santa
all of the boys!

routines

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

can i tell you how much i LOVE routines?!!
they are life savers for me
and my kids
i love knowing what to expect
what's going to be next
and my kids love it too
we hardly have melt downs when it is nap-time or bed-time
of course, life happens and sometimes i don't always catch cues when they're tired
so they fall asleep during playtime...
i love being able to put our kids to bed at 7
and they sleep till 6:30-7 almost every night
i've also learned something just lately
i used to have a "morning routine"
well, it's become my "night routine" quite often lately
especially when we got home from our christmas trip and the house was in total chaos
and i had to spend two solid uninterrupted hours getting things back in order
at night, i've found myself doing laundry, vacuuming, and getting breakfast ready
some nights, though, i'm too pooped to do anything
but when i do, it feels great!
especially if i wasn't able to get to it during the day.

i'm a big boy now!

2011-12-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

my mom would say, "it's about time!"
before grayson was born, cooper loved going potty in the toilet
but i wasn't ready for that... not with a newborn coming!
after several "windows" of opportunity, i finally was brave to embrace it!
and, we've have only a handful of wet beds! woo hoo!!!
this happened a week before we left for our christmas trip
since, he'd had only one wet bed before we left, i figured if we drove through the night
then hopefully we'd be okay
and we were!!!
we took the potty in the car and it was used by both boys
glad we didn't have to make any extra stops!!!

christmas

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

it seems like there is always one who doesn't want their pic taken...
sure blessed to be able to raise these future stripling warriors!

3 1/2 months

2011-12-17T12:09:00.000-06:00

wow has time flown by
i remember when he was born and we found out how much he weighed
i said, almost 8 pounds?!
our doctor said, he would've been 8 pounds if he hadn't pee'd all over me :)
he now weighs almost 16 pounds
and he's not 4 months yet!
i love his little feet
he's always spreading his toes apart
i love his giggle and the way he raises his eyebrows when he smiles
he is perfect in every way
sure love you gray!!

happy baby

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

isn't it funny when you feel like your baby is FINALLY on a schedule
and then they change it on you
you finally feel like life my start to "happen" again
and then their schedule changes
and you have to figure them out again
like "how" they like to go to sleep
bundled or not bundled?
cradled or not?
facing in or out
swing or no swing
well, gray likes to be shhh'd to sleep
we have a bouncy chair in his crib
we can just go bounce it a little and shh-shh him
and most times, it only takes a few minutes
i like this routine he's on right now
knock on wood and don't change on me gray!!! :)
he is so happy all the time
he smiles at everyone who will talk to him
he tries to shove BOTH fists in his mouth at the same time
he drools often and spits up more!
he only wakes one time to eat at night
and sometime will sleep in 'til 8 or 9
he takes 3-4 naps per day
usually one nap will be almost 3 hours
like i said, DON'T change it up gray.
we are on a rhythm together!!! :)

thanks pinterest

2011-12-15T20:50:00.001-06:00

i think pinterest is going to help me be a better mom!
i get soo many ideas off there of things to do with these boys!!!
so grateful.
brack will come home and say, mom, let's do an activity....
that means, let find something off pinterest! :)
these are mini volcanoes
and some slime!
wish i had green...
cooper just woke up from his nap
check out his hair and his sweat marks on his shirt!i wasn't sure if he'd even touch it, but eventually he did.
cooper will tell me, "mom, mess"
he told me the counter was messy and needed to be cleaned

letters to santa

2011-12-14T12:00:00.001-06:00

i decided it would be a lot fast if our "letter"
we just printed them from the web
and then santa would know just where to get what this little precious boy wants
so he stapled the pages and wrote on the front
something like, this is so you can put a checkmark once you get it for me
it was so cute, he was telling me how much he LOVED hula-hooping in PE
he said, "do you think i could ask santa for TWO things? legos and a hula-hoop?"
what a good boy
we made some caramel apples
cooper wouldn't even touch them
brack loved them
we put sweetened condensed milk in the crock pot for 8 hours to make the caramel
super easy

happy thanksgiving... 3 months

2011-12-13T20:19:00.006-06:00

for thanksgiving we had a family over to enjoy this THANKFUL day!
when dusty sat down to eat, he said, "this actually tastes like thanksgiving!"
well, good dust! glad you enjoyed it! :)
that evening we had a little photo shoot, enjoy...
3 months and growing...i told them to say CHEESE
cooper apparently doesn't know how to say that yet! :)
sure love my little family!!!!
so GRATEFUL to have the chance to raise these cute precious souls

bath time

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-06:00

gray always seems to fall asleep for just a little cat nap before our little bedtime routing
so we often have to wake him
it's all for a good cause! :)he LOVES his bathand is ever so cute in just his little towel!
we love this little baby and are so glad he's come to our home
we hope to raise him in a way that the Lord wants us to.
i recently read the best poem by Boyd K. Packer:

"All the water in the wter in the world,
However hard it tried,
Could never sink the smallest ship
Unless it [gets] inside.
And all the evil in the world,
The blackest kind of sin,
Can never hurt you the least bit
Unless you let it in."

isn't it so true?
and thought-provoking?
i love that.
it makes me want to not allow ANYTHING in my home
that will start to 'sink' our family

11 weeks

2011-12-11T14:57:00.001-06:00

for some reason tummy time is hard to remember to do at our house
i feel like they eat, sleep, eat, sleep, and very little play
that when they're awake i don't want them to get sad
so i'd rather them be happy another way..
of course, he's looking at his brother
brack said, "i can't wait for gray to speak english?"
this day, was sunday
i remember cuz everyone was asleep but me and brackon
well, gray was awake
brack and i were doing a little art project or something
i needed both arms, so
i put him in this little chair
he fussed for a little
and next i knew he was zonked!
just a little cat nap!
and he was ready to play!

toys

2011-12-10T12:00:00.004-06:00

i always love when toys can ease some of the craziness that come with a new baby
he seemed to be interested sooner than my other two
perhaps time just flies too quickly!!!

other secrets

2011-12-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

so here's another little secret to helping this monster sleep at night
at least it seemed to work for uspoor little man sleeps out here all by his lonesome
he doesn't seem to mind
this little baby helps cooper not feel left out
and why would he feel left out when he does the same things as mom?!
great blackmail picture for one day, right?!!!

10 weeks

2011-12-08T12:00:00.001-06:00

time flies too fast with a newborn
seems like yesterday we brought him home
yet, on those sleepless nights
i wonder when these nights will be over
if you look closely, you can see that gray has his tongue out
he sure loves his brackon!he is a joy to have around
here is one secret that is making my life a little easier in the mornings
i made 35 of these oatmeal packets
so if breakfast is not going to happen
i can tell brack to make his own breakfast before he's rushed off to school and how awesome that he can do it himself!!!!
love it!

laser wall

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

thank goodness for pinterest
i've learned a lot of fun, cheap or free ways to entertain my kidswe had fun doing this!
give it a try!

halloween

2011-12-06T12:00:00.003-06:00

it's never to late to get caught up on your blog, right?

we don't really get into halloween much at our house
since brackon is in school now, we can't hide any holidays anymore :)
here are some pics from his class party
it was very low key
cooper acted like he was a part of their class
found his own cookie and started decorating it
at our church party, brack wanted to be a police officer
he was soo excited to have this little shirt and hat
some friends gave it to him
i thought he'd never take it off
cooper was a ropin' cowboy
thank goodness some friends took these pictures for us
thank you!!!
halloween night we got together with some friends and made spudnuts
unfortunately, they were devoured so quickly we didn't get a picture, ha ha. jk.
did you know if you nurse your baby for a year, around 8 times a day
you will nurse them almost 3000 times!
i was thinking about that when i sat down once again to feed this baby of mine. kesler, easton, brack and coopisn't his robin costume adorable?!!!
these boys are within a month apart.
a friend called me up and said, we're going to a pumpkin patch wanna come?
luckily i brought jackets
i didn't think i'd need a stroller
just a pumpkin patch, right?!
this turned out to be soo much fun
they had a lot of fun stuff for the kids... slides, bikes, animals to see and feed, steer heads to rope, playground, you name it. and we didn't even get to stay long enough to experience it all.
it was fun!
...we had to go on a dirt road to get there
brack said, why is it so bumpy?
i said, cuz it's a dirt road, cooper groaned.
clearly my boys haven't experienced "outdoors" enough!
then, when we went by the pigs, brackon plugged his nose
thought it was so funny
if only they knew where i grew up!!!!! :)

kings

2011-12-05T12:00:00.005-06:00

one day brackon said, let's make king hats
so we did...
according to how old you are, that's how many crown things you got! :)
these little boys will grow up to be kings one day...

we love church

2011-12-04T12:00:00.001-06:00

we may have been just a tad late to church this day
but wouldn't you have been too?
if you had such cute boys
that you had to do a quick photo shoot before church?!!!!
check out my future missionaries
"we belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints!
we know who we are
we know gods plan
we'll follow him in faith
we believe in the savior jesus christ
we'll honor his name
we'll do what is right
we'll follow his light
HIS TRUTH WE WILL PROCLAIM!"

dusty is serving as the ward clerk
so it's up to me to get these three to church
one day i decided that i want my kids to LOVE sunday's
i want it to be a day that he looks forward to
i try to spend lots of time with them (beside my nap)
and really be fun
on sunday, brack said, "i love sunday's, they're my favorite)
i guess it's working!!!! yipee!

9 weeks

2011-12-03T12:00:00.003-06:00

what a smily little guy!
out of i don't know how many, these are the pics i narrowed this photo shoot down to...
did i mention what a tough boy grayson is going to be?
oh boy!!!!

making memories with dad

2011-12-02T12:00:00.001-06:00

dusty is so good at spending time with the boys
helping them learn something new
brack LOVES one on one time
so grateful dusty likes spending time his boys
yeah!

tough guy

2011-12-01T12:00:00.003-06:00

look at this adorable outfit
so cute
does this picture say how tough he's gonna be?
he's looking at cooper like, 'don't forget what you're doin' here!!!!'
this brother is going to be his protector and one of his best friends
brack will always say hi to gray when i walk in the room with him
like... what about your mom brack!
and this brother is going to be so FUN and also a little protector of gray
he's been a big help
and will run and get gray's pacifier if he hears him crying
whether he wants it or not will try and shove it in his mouth
and here i am going to try and calm all the waves...
love being a mom of three boys!

2 months

2011-12-01T08:00:00.002-06:00

sleeping so soundly
big stretcheswhat a rude awakening, right?
he's 12 lbs
brack at 2 months 12 lbs. 5 oz.
coop at 2 months 11 lbs. 10 oz.
poor guy doesn't know what's coming
all smiles before he got his shots...
after his shots was the first time i noticed tears when he criedwhen cooper got up there to be with gray it reminded me of when brack got up on the table to be with him... so here's a photo down memory lane with brack and baby coop.
you can see a little of coops red hair

me and the young'ons

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

it's been an adjustments having these two home
gray is often found laying on our table our counter
while we try to get things done
we go to storytime once a week at the library
cooper LOVES the bubbles
and is sad when they're gone
this is the only time he'll get off my lap
is for the bubbles
i always thought it was funny that parents would take pics of their kids during storytime
but here i am video'ing and taking pics, lol!!!

we're keeping busy here.
LOVE that i'm able to stay home
enjoy and savor EVERY minute of these precious boys!
i wouldn't change my life for anyone's.

cooking in the kitchen

2011-11-29T11:53:00.003-06:00

brackon likes to help me in the kitchen
this particular day he wanted to make his own concoction
at first he wanted to make bread
he started with some water
then decided to add some freeze dried fruit
tasted it and was not so yummy
so he drained the water
and this is where it ended
he videoed it and if you listen to him, it's quite hilarious! :)

fun with cousins at the allen's

2011-11-15T21:20:00.001-06:00

cooper gets frustrated pretty easily
this looks like he's being silly
when he gets mad, it is kinda cute
...until he hits you
or kicks you, huh brack...
and after he apologizes, he is oh so sweet
thank goodness gray likes car rides
and loves watching other people
here are mady and the coombs girls
so cute!
grandpa marlin with gray
raidyn and brack
we love cookies!!!
mady, brack, coop, raidyn
gray and mady
all the allen cousinsthe allen boys
we had lots of fun
thanks bobbie for these pics!

fun in idaho

2011-11-14T21:23:00.003-06:00

we had a great time while we went back home for gray's blessing
kenadee and brack
it was great not having to worry about our boys being entertained
trey and coop

morgan and graybrack and morgan
morg with her bunny

blessing day... 6 weeks

2011-11-12T21:08:00.006-06:00

i am so glad i had a friend take these pictures
BEFORE the blessing day!he was so good
we drove to utah so we could have family be a part
of the blessing
we are so grateful we did.
here is gray with grandma great
our little family
i think gray likes to pull faces like his daddy...so cute grandpa and grandma harman
grandpa and grandma allengrandpa and grandma morganfour generationus with grandma great hilterbrand!
gabe and brack had so much fun togetherme, my sis's, mom and grandma
don't we all look alike?!
the day was wonderful
thanks everyone for coming

load a day

2011-11-12T21:04:00.002-06:00

a load (or two) of laundry a day keeps me happy...
and i love when cooper helps me fold
he has his knees up and would lay them over his knees
then when he was out of clothes to fold
he would move them off his knees come and get more
sit back down, pull them back on his knees
and start layering again
it was so funny
do you see something behind his head?!

oh boy!

2011-11-08T21:02:00.002-06:00

coop has a pillow...

not just any pillow

he calls it his "wee-woo"

not sure where the name came from, but anyhow...

i was feeding gray one night and he said, mom, wee-woo eat?

i said sure.... thinking he was going to feed him food.

nope, he sat right beside me and started feeding his wee-woo! lol!!!

another time, he started calling for it... wee-woo where are you? wanna eat??!!!

brack has inquired more about the delivery of the baby...

he asked, mom did it hurt when they cut the baby out?

me: it would...

brack: what do you mean? it would?

we then talked a little about it. just a little.

he also asked me if it hurts when gray eats

and asked gray if he could have some milk!!

when you wake up...

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

in the mornings, which facial expression best describes you?

unfortunately, for me, none of these show how i am cuz i try to keep my eyes closed AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! :)
thanks to dusty for making us breakfast ALMOST EVERY MORNING lately!!!!
you're AMAZING!!!!
gray is 5 weeks here

bath time... oh my!

2011-11-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

why is it sometimes hard to get these kids into the tub?
and then it's hard to get them out?
the other day the boys were in there for over an hour
having so much fun

dusty said, i don't think i ever had so much fun in the tub
i said, that's because you had all sisters! :)

croup is no fun

2011-11-02T11:42:00.002-05:00

just after the baby was born
and the night shelley left
cooper started coughing
we decided at 8 to just give him a treatment cuz we knew it would only get worse
dusty gave him another treatment around 3am
and then at 6 we decided to take him to the ER
he wasn't taking to the treatments
so they had to admit him
it was a long day and night for the little guy
but he was in good hands
dusty was able to take the day off so he could be there
luckily or else, it would've been REALLY hard with a 2 week old baby at the hospital!!!
we are grateful he's doing better and are not looking forward to this winter!

ouch! and yuck!

2011-11-01T15:24:00.002-05:00

brack was so excited about the fun ride down our hill he wanted to show "his friends"
i said, why don't i just go get the camera. so i did and this is what i got:

here is his battle wound.
and poor little gray was so exhausted
he wasn't bothered by a little spit up.
i thought the picture was funny. dusty didn't like it.

1 month

2011-10-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

little burrito man
loves to be bundled!
he is our bundle of joy!

silly cooper

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

cooper loves being at home
he follows me around the house
he really is a good boy.

3.5 weeks

2011-10-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

what a handsome little fella!
check out that tongue!!

fun with shell

2011-10-26T12:00:00.002-05:00

it was so much fun for shell to be here to help me with my 3rd!
she brought her 3 kids too, so 6 kids under 6.
it wasn't as crazy as you'd think
i'd do it again in a second!
one day, while brack was at school (we only sent him a couple hours each day), wen ventured out!
to liberty jail.
it was a venture! 5 kids under 6 is a lot of work!
we picked brackon up from school after this and went to the park
this day was mason's 5th birthday!
needless to say, we only left the house (all together) ONE day!!!
these are some random shots
of course, we can't be apart for anything...
kinda like girls when we go to the bathroom together
well, same goes for cousins they even bathe together :)
with swimsuits, now they're getting older.
cooper didn't want any part of it
for some reason, he doesn't like bubbles in the bath, weird.
shell gave brack a haircut
more eating, we went through 100 paper plates while she was here! ...glad we had paper!
fun on the tablet(s)... what is this world coming to?
mason's birthday party! (i know i got video, but where are my pics?!)
and dusty joins in on the fun
cooper and landon (mainly cooper) weren't sure of each other at first
but after a few days they kinda started to like each other ;)
eat, bathe and play... (wish that was on my "to do" list each day)
my foggy brain can't remember how cooper got this black eye...
i think he fell in the kitchen and hit his eye on the corner of the cupboard.
16 days old.
of course... a little dance party...

3 weeks old
we miss you guys.
thanks for coming! and, come back soon!!!!!

2011-10-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

check out those baby blues...
there's the smile!
i've really been impressed with this little boy and how he's done with the baby
he hasn't been difficult at all like i expected.
whenever he starts getting too rough with gray, i'll tell him to give him a kiss and he will and then he backs away... great little secret!so serious.
11 days.
and, i liked this pic of me, blurry and all.

the best daddy.

2011-10-24T20:33:00.003-05:00

i love this picture (thanks bobbie!)
they say a picture is worth a million words
it makes me think about the future
and how much fun these boys will have with their dad!
i hope they will always follow the path of their father
they will be so happy and full of joy if they do
we learn so much from him
love you dust!
who doesn't want their picture taken?
brack?
gray?

tablet fun. 10 days.

2011-10-22T21:43:00.002-05:00

it was awesome having dusty home for two weeks to help out,
here is what they did MOST the time :)
brack again holding the babe.10 days old

far west. adam-ondi-ahman.

2011-10-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

dusty's mom came for a week to help out
and here are some pics she took while i watched from the car :)

first bath and a milk mustache

2011-10-20T21:09:00.001-05:00

here's gray's first bath at home
he "looks" peaceful

i already miss how peaceful they sleep when they're first born
love his little feet...
look how big his sleeper is on him
my mom always said a baby who sleeps with his arms up is a happy baby!
we're happy round here! never too early to start playing with cars.
thanks brack!

8 days old

2011-10-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

this is one of my favorites
he looks so peaceful like this photo shoot was a piece of cake
i was sweating by the end of it
i can't remember how many times i fed him to try to get him back asleep
so precious

mr. personality

2011-10-18T21:43:00.000-05:00

when cooper is in trouble, he often folds his arms and gives us this lookoh my! and if he doesn't want to do it, try making him.
we are working on this.
we are learning to give him lots of choices!!!

breakfast help

2011-10-17T21:34:00.000-05:00

these boys love to help
have you ever made your eggs like this?! awesome!
i saw the idea on pinterest. bake at 350 for 20 min.
we put them on biscuits w sausage patties! yum!
now, if i could only have them make some biscuit and sausage gravy... my favorite!
we are having cooper practice on his baby first before we turn him loose on gray! ;)

eat, sleep, poop, repeat.

2011-10-16T21:27:00.000-05:00

gray has been a very good baby
these are his first week

brotherly love

2011-10-15T21:25:00.002-05:00

when gray was about a week old
brackon rocked gray to sleep and held him for over 30 minutes
he doesn't want to go to school because he wants to stay home with gray
he calls gray his "best buddy"
he shows him all the toys he's playing with
and is ALWAYS hugging and kissing him
he tells him that he likes his hair to be "down", not spikey
he always is telling him how cute he is
i can learn from brackon that we can NEVER tell someone too much, how much we love themabout the only way we can get brackon to nap is if we tell him he can sleep with gray
somedays, we do whatever works! :)gray's first experience sleeping under a fort.
it was a good first experience. :)

dressing up

2011-10-14T21:22:00.000-05:00

i can't remember a lot about these pictures
but i do remember them having a lot of fun
and don't we love when they play so well together?!!!!
check out this belly
yeah, i eat well.

welcome home gray

2011-10-13T20:58:00.001-05:00

the boys taking turns with gray
and cooper with "his baby"
here's a little clip of the boys when they first saw gray at home

hospital pics

2011-10-12T20:33:00.005-05:00

here are some more photos from the hospital
cooper playing on the xoom
brack eating chips
cute pics of gray
brack playing on the xoom
dust holding gray
sleeping gray
cooper playing in the water and with the light switches
dr. morris, LOVE HER!
dusty again with gray
and pic of the day... brack picking his nose while playing on the xoom with the other hand! :)
the first photo below brings tears to my eyes
this is the nurse who helped me shower (after three days, it felt WONDERFUL!) :)
she was so good, all my nurses were
but it was her goal of the day to get me to the shower with out passing out on her
she really wanted to help me
i so appreciated her. i could feel her energy
she worked so hard
i slept most the day
the first pic was in the morning and the other pic was that afternoon around 5
showers do wonders!
we are so blessed to be able to go somewhere to have our babies
to be waited on and taken care of
not to mention taking care of the baby... i think i changed one diaper the whole time i was there
it makes me think about the Savior and how he willingly did all that he did for us
we can't make it back to live with our Heavenly Father with out Him
we HAVE to rely on the Savior and use the Atonement to be made whole again
the sacrifice He made for us was selfless
just like these nurses, i would not be here without them.

what would you do if someone saved YOUR life?

2011-08-25T19:53:00.006-05:00

an hour later, after my delivery, i started to feel some blood gushing

i had the nurse check on me

while she was checking me, a nurse was taking care of gray

i started to talk to them about the olden days and how it would be so hard to have a baby back then.

well, just then i started to feel nauseous

i passed out
they called code blue
and the rapid response team came to my rescue!
i woke up to a room full of people

my privacy totally exposed and nurses poking at both arms
found out later i had a blood clot the size of a grapefruit
i asked the nurses what happened
and they told me i had a seizure
what a way to wake up, eh?
poor dusty was in the room and saw the whole thing

that night, i couldn't sleep
i think the reality of what happened set in
i feared that i might not ever wake up again
then the tears came pouring as i thought about how blessed i am
to have the technology that we have now
i am so grateful i was in the hospital
i am so grateful the dr's and nurses who were there were there
i am so grateful for my life and for those who work daily to save lives
i am so grateful.clockwise: me before delivery, me after delivery and me the morning after no sleep. :)
so as you can see lots of fluids and no sleep don't really go hand in hand...
you're guaranteed puffy eyes!!! and tears don't help that either!

so back to my question...
what would you do for someone (or all the people) who saved your life?
as i lay in bed that first night, i believe the Spirit prompted me to do what i did.
i got a canister and put individual wrapped life savers
then i labeled it with my picture and put "Everyone Needs a Life Saver... Thanks for Being Mine"
then i got 20 Books of Mormon and wrote up my testimony
for someone who "physically" saved my life, i wanted to help "spiritually" save theirs.
i am so grateful to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.
i know that it is ONLY through learning, knowing and experiencing Christ that I can make it back to live with my Heavenly Father
i know that Christ is my Savior, he knows what we go through and how we feel
i know that we are here on the earth to help others
and i hope that through my experience, i've planted a seed to help save the life of someone else.

grayson jordan

2011-08-25T19:46:00.005-05:00

well... we are now a family of five!

grayson was born august 23rd at 7:49pm

he weighed 7lbs. 15 oz. and was 20.5 inches long

he has brown hair and crooked pinkies (which means he's ours)

he eats really well and sleeps like a newborn!

sure love this little guy!the delivery:
i really wanted to have gray on the 24th because we are naming him after jordan mingo, who passed away a couple years ago, and it is his birthday on the 24th.
but i started labor on the 23rd
we went in to the hospital around 1ish and they hooked me up to the machines and monitored me for a couple hours
they talked to my dr and she said i can either go home (she knew i wanted to have him the next day) or wait until after 5 and she'd come induce me.
i was torn.... didn't want to be induced or go home.
i asked how far apart my contractions were and the nurse said 5 min.
so? why would they send me home??
dusty said, we're not leaving! let's have this baby!!!!
so, when it got a little closer i was able to get my epidural
i was on CLOUD 9! so grateful for that!!!
my dr came and broke my water to try and get things started
just before they were going to start the petocin, my nurse decided to check me
she could feel the baby's head
so she called my dr--- who was at target!
she got to the checkout and realized she'd forgotten her wallet, so she handed her things to the checkout guy and said, i'll be back in an hour!
so she rushed to the hospital and made it in 7 minutes!
basically, they put me in the stirrups at 7:45
and i had him at 7:49
i only pushed for 2.5 minutes!
i couldn't have asked for an easier delivery!
the place where it all happened...
and the actual building...

school begins

2011-08-22T21:50:00.003-05:00

we are beginning a "new season" at our house

brack's in school now and we're having a baby

brack came home from school one day and told me all about a boy named james

"he's new at school and didnt have any markers or scissors so i let him borrow mine!"

he was so excited about it.

loves his teacher

yellow belt

2011-08-21T21:45:00.002-05:00

brack participated in karate this summer
it was pretty low key
he LOVED it
worked hard to earn his YELLOW belt
the last night was awards night
he was very solemn when he got his new belt
but i could tell VERY excited!!!
he and his sensei.
good work brack!

sick day

2011-08-20T21:41:00.002-05:00

we had a sick day at our house this week, actually two.
cooper may not look sick, but he threw up several times
brack doesn't look sick here either but his started around 5:30 and went until 9:30
so not too bad
i was running from one to the other
cooper NEVER falls asleep on the couch
poor kid
dusty had to take himself to the urgent care to get an IV while i stayed home with the boys
grateful it was mostly during the day
i didn't get sick, thank goodness.
glad this bug is outta our house!!!

he's only 5.

2011-08-19T21:30:00.002-05:00

he wants to grow his hair.
he said, "how bout til the end of the month?"
me: that's tomorrow
b: the end of the year?
we shall see!

all about dusty :)

2011-08-19T21:11:00.004-05:00

dusty had a birthday last week
we made his favorite dinner: steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and brocolli (the boys fav)
he is surely the best husband i could ask for
the best supporter
the best father
the hardest worker/ provider
I LOVE YOU!
and carrot cake ... another fav.
hope you had a fabulous birthday babe!
sure love you!
these boys love their dad... i'd say, wouldn't you?!
and to show you what a hard worker, not to mention inventive, creative guy he is...
here's a sneak peak of the bunk beds he's building... (kind of a bad angle)
but you can see the fancy stairs with cubbies and and dresser will fit on the bottom right of the stairs
and then the beds behind

getting ready to add #3

2011-08-11T19:55:00.002-05:00

we are just counting down the weeks (2) 'til our new baby arrives
these two boys keep me on my toes
i sure LOVE them!
we had a little event via the library... Mr. Stinky Feet. cute.
love it!
brack starts school in a week
we found out his teacher today!
pretty exciting!

brack.

2011-07-19T18:02:00.003-05:00

after church, brackon came out wearing this:
his missionary tag
batman shirt
basketball shorts
cowboy boots
now if that isn't creative, i don't know what is.
here is a little video clip of one of his first jumps off the diving board
i started to wonder if his teacher was going to go down and get him...
he was under there for what seemed like FOREVER!

two favorite pictures

2011-07-18T17:02:00.002-05:00

now these are real smiles of my boys
they each took these pictures of each other
priceless!
they were running from each other...

randomness

2011-07-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

cooper trying out the bassinet
cooper loves wearing his boots
and he can finally get them on by himself
can i just say, all it takes is a lot of frustration for this boy to figure something out!
here is our cowboy police officer
brackon was asking me when police officers sleep...
he said he wants to be a policeman who sleeps during the day and works at night...
do you like "the style" at our house, shorts and boots?!

happy 4th

2011-07-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

we had a hot and humid 4th.
can you tell?
happy independence day!
can you spot the red, white, and blue?

a visit from mom

2011-07-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

while my mom came brack earned the last few quarters to buy his long-waited cowboy gun!
he was pretty proud!
we didn't take very many pictures
perhaps we were "busy" :)
but we had a lot of fun!
thanks for coming mom!!!
we love you and miss you!

summer schools over

2011-07-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

brack had a lot of fun in summer school
he did a great job
and learned a lot
we had a few "learning moments"...
peeing on the playground and 'a pill in his lunch'
cooper had some amazing naps while the house was dead quiet.
he'd sleep until it was time to get brack, i had to wake him up often
this was one of those times.
here is a pic from summer school orientation of his name
pretty impressive

brotherly love

2011-07-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

i love when these two boys love each other.
how precious.

camping w dad

2011-07-11T22:41:00.003-05:00

dusty wanted to travel too far (6.5 hours) for a short one night trip for me
so he took brack on his first camp out...
he LOVED every minute of it!
even though it was really hot...
he had a friend there too...
they rode horses and had a great time.
love this picture above.

2 and 5

2011-07-11T20:32:00.005-05:00

these boys are simply awesome
i love waking up to them jumping on me in bed
brackon is 5.
he's in karate (hence the "anza" position)
he wants to become a black belt
his dreams change often, so we'll see.
he's also in swimming lessons
doing very well
last week they took them to jump off the diving board
i was way scared
it didn't even faze him
he just jumped right of the board, i mean the board bounced!
today when he jumped off, he must have started trying to swim before he came up because he was under there for a while. (video coming...)
he starts kindergarten this fall
he is super excited for the baby to come
he'll tell me to open my mouth so he can talk to the baby...
he says, "kick me baby"
i was telling him how much time i'm going to have to spend with the baby and asked him if he could help me. i told him the baby may not sleep very much at night and asked if he'd get up with the baby in the middle of the night... he said, "oh, but i just get so tired"
i said, "i'll get up with him..."
he said, "but i'll help you in the day!"
such a great helper
today i had him vacuum the stairs
can i tell you how awesome that was?!
meet, mr. tease.
he loves dishing it out and can take it pretty well too.
l.o.v.e.s. his big brother
very independent... starting to dress himself
will do almost anything if you say, hurry fast, go! go! i'll count 1-2-3!!
a little slow on the talking
his latest is gum (a.ka. bum)
he said baby the other day
as i was getting the babies car seat washed up he really wanted to leave, i told him the carseat was for the baby, so he went and got his baby and put it in the carseat. oh boy!
"ohm" is still ouch
eat and please sound way to much alike.
"boo" is still book
he can say car but prefers to say "mmmm"
he is started to really like the "poo" (pool)
he jumps in to me (the first time we went swimming, he didn't even get wet)
i have to watch him because he'll jump when i'm not watching.
so much fun.

dance moves

2011-06-08T19:28:00.004-05:00

oh my!
he's got some great moves!
i love when cooper is back by the couch, you can see his leg tapping.

my little coop.

2011-06-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

this little boy can hold his own.
we were at the swimming pool
and this 5 year old kept squirting cooper with a water gun.
he grabbed his bucket of water and went and dumped it on him!
he may look innocent,
but that is not always the case!
(...i wish i had got a picture of him holding his baby with the phone on his shoulder.)
he loves "boo's" (books)
and he loves picking his nose.
we sure love him and are glad he is part of our family!

summer school

2011-06-06T22:22:00.003-05:00

brackon has started summer school.
sad.
he is really growing up on me.
he was excited, but not so much just because he didn't know "what" to be excited for.
after his first day he ran out from the school and gave me a big hug!
a long one.
i enjoyed it!
and then i asked how it went.
he just smiled.
i said, "good? bad?"
and he gave me another BIG hug!!!! that means he liked it!
(summer school, here, is to help them get ready for ALL day kindergarten, how sad. it is just the month of june.)
his teacher: mrs. painter
and a couple friends; gaving and caleb.
on the way home from his first day, he said he didn't want to talk about it
just asked if he could play the computer.
throughout the night, he would mention a few things:
*we can't talk while the teacher's talking
*hand on hip, finger on lip... that's how we have to walk down the halls...
he told me he had something in his armpit... (sweat) :)

the second day (see his blue and black LONG SLEEVE shirt), he really wanted to wear those "new" school clothes (supposed to be for in the fall)
i tried to get him to change and then decided, it's his choice, he may get hot (was around 100 that day), but next time maybe he'll listen.
so on the way home i asked if he got hot, he said, a little, but i didn't get "the sweats" :)

here's a little clip of brackon walking to school his first day...

mother's day

2011-06-01T20:34:00.002-05:00

i had a great mother's day!
after church, had a great nap!!!!
followed by a yummy dinner
dusty made! ...steak and potatoes
here's some other pictures from another day
coop's looking at one of his birthday cards!
and this is my little bread boy.
he loves bread, straight from the fridge.
and here's the cutest one...

a little birthday party

2011-05-24T11:22:00.002-05:00

we went to a little birthday party a little bit ago
and cooper wasn't too "busy" to pose for some shots...
he even snuggled a bit.

coop loves daddy!

2011-05-24T10:50:00.003-05:00

doesn't this picture say it al!??!!

the MOST productive day

2011-05-11T22:23:00.000-05:00

so, ive been in a bit of a slump lately.
not motivated to do much of anything
i take a nap most days, and wake up grudgingly when cooper does...
i am ready for bed at 10 and hit the pillow and am exhausted

(brack is so nice to share...)

well, last night i didn't get to bed til midnight
gratefully, i didn't have to make breakfast for dusty cuz he had meetings and they were eating at work (and didn't have to get his lunch ready either)
when i woke up, i thought, it is definately pajama day!!! not doing anything but the necessities.
my eyes were swollen, my neck hurt (slept wrong)
i was e.x.h.a.u.s.t.e.d.

(and so is cooper... always giving me his pillow)

the only THING i HAD to do was sign brack up for swimming and exchange books at the library...
then i decided to call a friend and see if she wanted to go get some fabric
meanwhile, the car place called to say our car was ready
so... that's how it began
let me just type up all i did!!! i can hardly believe it...

signed brack up for swimming
got my car back
took rental back
went and got some fabric (about 20 minutes away)
library
read some books

at this point, i would normally nap, but the idea of putting up this shelf excited me!

brack and i put together this shelf in the garage (i'll have to post some before/ after pics)
put away a basket full of out-grown clothes and some straggler christmas and thanksgiving items
exchanged out baby toys for cars in a basket in the the boys room
played a little basketball

i sat down on the couch contemplating WHAT to have for dinner.
dusty was gone and i really wanted something GOOD
didn't really want to make anything
the couch was pretty comfy
and i was getting sleepy
and then, cooper pooped...

cleaned the carpet from some smeared poop from coop

time for baths!

bathed the boys
cleaned their bathroom

decided leftovers will work... :)

cleaned out a cupboard of paperwork
cleaned out cubby and jockey box (put in up-t0-date registration) in car
checked on a few clients
booked 2 spas
picked up office
called my mom to brag about all i'd done and decided i need to blog about it

not to mention the daily tasks too... 3 meals, load of laundry, beds, etc.
it was a busy and very productive day.
tomorrow will be a good jamma day! :)

happy easter

2011-05-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

TWO!

2011-05-10T08:37:00.005-05:00

this little man turned 2 in april!
he is full of life!
mostly, always happy!
loves teasing brack
finally is okay with nursery (it's only taken 6 months) :)
loves climbing
talks in sentences, but only he knows exactly what he's saying
some cute words he says:
"om" for "ouch"
"boo" for "book"
"eats" for "please"
big blue eyes
we'll be at music group and i'll be doing the actions with my hands, he doesn't like it. he'll push my hands down and tell me no.
he loves babies... going to be a great "helper"
i was holding a friend's baby and when he saw me, he stopped playing and came over to hold
her!
has a really cute laugh, i could tickle him all day, just to hear it
loves his brother and wants to do EVERYTHING he does
we love you cooper, scooper, dooper hank!
some of our favorite people...
on my way home from getting groceries, the morning of his birthday
this little old lady ran into us
cooper didn't know anything happened
brack was a bit shook up
i was trying to remain calm
this was my first accident (knock on wood)
i was driving about 30 mph, and this lady was pulling out of a parking lot to get into my lane
she apparently didn't see me
i saw her, so i kinda sped up a bit so she'd miss me
luckily, everyone was just fine.
it bent the axle, so we've been in a rental for a few weeks, waiting for my car to get fixed.
the damage was about $4000... doesn't look that bad...
and because it was cooper's birthday, i was able to get off from the officer writing me a ticket for not having up-to-date proof of insurance! :) whoosh!
here's a little clip of the birthday boy around 7 in the morning...

i wanna be a cowboy, baby!

2011-05-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

one week brackon wore this outfit EVERYDAY
monday thru friday.
from his hat to his boots.
now, he says he just needs a rope!

baskets and bananas

2011-05-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

anyone else going through bananas like crazy!
these boys must need more potassium in their diet cuz they are inhaling bananas like they're going out of style!

watch out!

2011-05-03T14:26:00.004-05:00

this little boy has some attitude
and with this racket in his hand, he's not afraid to swing!

love my boys!!!

carl

2011-05-02T08:12:00.000-05:00

brack tells me he has an imaginary friend named carl.

i ask him what he looks like and he says, i cant see him.

he says carl is five years old.

he says carl is a really good wrestler.

he's says carl is downstairs, oh now he is in the kitchen...

he also says carl likes to play with girl toys (this he got from mason, which he also learned about carl from mason to!!!!!!!!!

so we like to tell stories...

brack says here is carl's story: (in a funny voice) once upon a time... so i laughed and he laughed and said he has a funny voice huh?

anyway, it doesnt seem as funny typing it now but it was pretty funny.

3 for 3 for boys

2011-05-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

it's time to share some baby news...
our little boy!
due august 24th.
we are excited to welcome this precious little soul into our family!

scissors

2011-04-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

when brack started preschool (at age 4) i had to buy him scissors
cooper is starting young! :)
i love this little man!!!

brothers

2011-04-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

these boys love their hats.
dusty made this drum set out of playdough
not too bad!
what a cute head band!

after-the trip pics

2011-04-28T14:25:00.001-05:00

on the way home pics
i think brack had fun, you think?!

fun in colorado

2011-04-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

time went way to fast.
but we met "half-way" for a fun fun visit!
you'd of thought these two hung out all the time....
of course it wasn't all roses,
there were a few moments of tears, but not many.
we went to a farm auction
a livestock auction
go to see my dad incubate some chicks (or eggs, rather)
and one of the highlights was shell climbing this tree to build a tire swing for the kids.
somebody's gotta take the pictures :)
go shell!!
and chan! (if you can see the look on her face, it is a look of hiding how proud she is of her mom!)
the tire swing was worth the "less than 10 minutes" it lasted
and it was sad when the fun was over!
see cooper's concerned look...
oh boy, look at that face landon!!!
but, anything is worth the look on this face!!!!
i am so grateful for family.
it made me miss them EVEN MORE!!!!!!!!
i'm ready to do it again!

mumbling

2011-04-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

this is one of coopers many talents... mumbling.
he will sometimes say sentences without his mouth moving. :)

love the toothbrush at the end, sorry dust! :)

exercises

2011-04-26T20:00:00.000-05:00

if dusty ever lays down on the floor
cooper will take him a pillow
and start climbing on him.
three muscle men.
love this cheesy grin!

crazy outfits

2011-04-26T16:12:00.004-05:00

check out this:
police "goggles"
"bag"
bracks shoes on the wrong feet!
and you can't forget the phone.
cowboy police officer

the BIG 5!

2011-03-22T20:23:00.002-05:00

we've been counting down since christmas.
don't ever tell your 4 year old that after christmas, it's your birthday! :)
finally, the end of january, i showed him a calendar and "tried" to explain how it works.
i think at least once a week (that doesn't seem like often, but it was) he would ask if we could turn the page.
well, the big day has come and gone, and now he is talking about his 6th birthday
and "when are my teeth going to fall out?"
"if i don't brush my teeth, will they fall out?" :)
and "when do i get to go to school?"... "what's the Fall?"
this birthday was all about BATMAN and a "Police Officer"
he wants to be one when he grows up!
so we gave him some police officer attire (amidst the batman shirt)
and went for a ride in a police car!
my mom said, "they aren't going to let you ride in the car..."
look mom!
front seat.
no car seat.
i was shocked.
this is brackon turning on the sirens and lights.
then the officer gased it.
no kidding.
as we cruised the back streets
"pulled over" about 5 cars
i was tense.
2 boys not in car seats
it was a moment we won't forget!

what an awesome officer.
it made brackon's day.
back to BATMAN...
brackon wore this shirt for about 3 weeks straight.
i think i washed it ONCE.
he is very "clean"... cooper touched him with peanut butter
and you would have thought brack lost his arm
he started crying and threw himself on the floor!!!!

we got him the Trio Batman...
it's great cuz he can take it apart and build different bat caves
he likes to play in the dark.

brack said, mom "how come there aren't any superheroes in our day"
i got a little spiritual on him :)
and then he said, "i want to be the first super hero!"

we got him some batman pj's.
he spilt water on them
another melt down!
oh my!!!!

it's great to be 5!
brackon is such a great helper.
a rule follower
and if there is someone not following the rules, i hear about it.

he recently used a post-it note to make a sign for his room...
guess what it said?... "No Smoking" :)

he is a PLANNER, like his mother (dusty says)
each night before bed he asks what we are doing tomorrow.

when brack goes to sleep, he tells me how much he loves me...
i love you more than... the moon, the trucks, pepper, my bed, etc. (waiting for him to say "batman") :)
i love you little brack, more than words can explain!!!!

craziness

2011-03-18T10:17:00.001-05:00

most of the time these two brothers
are happy campers
(notice cooper wearing brackon's shoes)here is a perfect example of the fun
this is usually when they are the happiest playing together...

this was supposed to be a relaxing moment for mom
and then cooper woke up...
check out that bed head!!! (he's since gotten a haircut) :)
who would've thought you could have so much fun with a bowl!

mr. personality with his pillow!
and again with his pillow...
what do all these pictures have in common?
one of his favorite places to be...
is the counter!!!! my favorite!!!just kickin' back...
also, this is usually what we're doing after dinner...
i watch...
they entertain! :)

cooper can do it too now, i need to video it.

"a number on my shirt"

2011-03-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

it wasn't too warm,
but brack wanted to play soccer
he said, "mom, i need to get a number on my shirt so i can play soccer"
it was interesting
brackon didn't want cooper kicking the ball
he did better when cooper was in the swing...
and of course, cooper had to have a number on his shirt too!!! :)
here's a little video of the cold soccer playing
and a little ATTITUDE from brack!!