"A house does not have to be perfect to be a home of joy, a child does not have to behave perfectly to love and be loved, and every moment of life does not have to be perfect to be of value. Too often, I realize, we fail to see the glorious reality of the simple joy that abounds in the seemingly mundane routine of day-to-day living. Instead, we tend to idolize the past, idealize the future, and devalue the present.... What better way to show our appreciation to Heavenly Father for what we have than to embrace our lives, albeit 'ordinary' and 'unexciting,' with joy?"

--Winnie Dalley; Ensign, March 1998

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Chloe Quote of the Day

While riding in the car with Chloe today, out of nowhere, she asked me:

"Mom, do you think the weather pattern in the Rainforest Cafe mimics the weather pattern in the real rainforest in South America?"

I'd love to be inside her head just for one day.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Chloe the blog-neglected kid!

I was lucky enough to be able to attend Chloe's Valentine's Day party at school. I was there taking pictures for an art project I'm doing for her school's upcoming auction. A special thanks to my mom, Dena, for watching Cooper so I could go!
It is fun to see Chloe interact with her friends in the school setting. As expected, she is very social and has lots of friends!



Grandpa Eric turns 50!

February 12th, is not only Abraham Lincoln's birthday, but also my father, Eric's. We got together for a yummy dinner and some delicious carrott cake!


The Trouble With Repeat Cesareans

A good read from Time magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1880665-1,00.html

Conversations with a two year old

Cooper is starting to use more words and it is nice to be able to know exactly what he wants or is trying to express. He has recently learned a new word that I am not so fond of... the dreaded "MINE."

Here is a little conversation I just had with Cooper when he came to see me, holding his sister's beloved blanket and rubbing it on his face to show me how soft it is.

Me: "Oh yes, Sister's blanket is so soft."
Him: "Chee!" (that is Cooper talk for sister)
Me: "Sister hurt herself, will you take her blanket to her?"
Him: With a concerned look on his face, "Ouch?"
Me: "Yes, she has an owie."
Him: Still concerned looking, starting to walk out of the room. "Chee ouch."
Me: "Take her the blankie."
Him: Still concerned, but not persuaded. "No, mine!"

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Thank you Elvis! (for high cholesterol)

A big thank you to Elvis for adding the Peanut butter, Jelly and Bacon sandwich and also the Grilled Banana and Peanut butter sandwich to my diet. Last week 'The King' added one more amazing creation to my list of must-eats. By way of Atlanta's Vortex bar and grill, I bring you the Elvis Burger. 1/2 lb of choice sirloin, bacon, fried bananas, lettuce, tomato, and red onion, all slathered in warm creamy peanut butter. Just as messy and delicious as it sounds... In case you are wondering, no that is not my Pabst Blue Ribbon, I am drinking the water.

Also- I did pass up the opportunity to eat the 'Double Bypass Burger' which is 1/2 lb burger 4 slices of cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, 2 fried eggs, and 2 grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun. Two of my coworkers ate this one in 4 minutes flat....Heart attack anyone??



Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Cooper's Party

We celebrated Cooper's birthday on Saturday at Dizzy's Bus Stop . The party was a lot of fun and went much smoother than I anticipated! I wasn't sure how a bunch of 1.5-2.5 year olds would do playing together (well, parallel playing near each other), but the kids all had a blast! A great big thank you to all of our guests!





















Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Candles

On Cooper's birthday, we all found out that Cooper had a new talent! He could blow out his candle all by himself! He was so proud of himself and enjoyed it so much that we relit the candle three more times. He quickly blew out the candle again and again, and then we had the afterthought to light it again and record him! He was a little tired by then, but kept at it until he was successful!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Someone turned TWO today!



Two years ago, my baby boy arrived in this world. My heart grew more than I knew was possible that day. And it grows more every day as I continue to fall more and more in love with him. Happy Birthday Cooper!

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