Boy stuff

From the decibel level of Cooper's scream when he saw this big truck-a Dodge he tells me (above), I thought I had run over someone in the parking lot. Would you believe this was at Wal-Mart? Really, I swear!

Tim took Coop to the 24 hour sale at the Ford dealership. He found lots of contenders for his list of coolest trucks. On his list of "must-haves"...a crew cab, because "I want to have a family" he told me.

Party On Dude! Boys fishing weekend :)

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?????!!!!! Just being silly on a boys night out at Dick's Sporting Goods.

ouch

I didn't know The Biggest Loser premier was on tonight. I'm sitting here watching the agony on their faces knowing that's what I must've looked like last night in my first aerobics class in five, maybe 10, years. Buttz and Guttz. I about hurled my guttz. I can hardly walk after I sit for a few minutes. It's mainly my thighs. Right now, my thighs hate Tracey the aerobics insructor. The timing was bad on my part. Tim is out of town this week. The kids' bedrooms are upstairs. Bedtime is torture...I really don't know if they brushed their teeth or not. And I think God is laughing at me. Tonight and last, there have been huge crashes in the kids' rooms around 10:30, of course, requiring investigation. So I sprinted up the stairs as fast as my legs could possibly go. If someone had been stealing something, they'd have had the truck filled by the time I made it up the 16 steps.

Last night a large picture tumbled from Abbie's dresser knocking over her lava lamp and everything else on the dresser as well. Tonight, Cameron fell out of bed and was already tucking himself back in when I got in there. The cruelest part is that going down the stairs hurts even more than going up them.

Grateful Friday

It's late on a Friday to be getting to my post, but at least I actually made time today to post. Today was a good day...lots to be grateful for this week

• It was great last weekend to spend a long Labor Day weekend on the boat with all the family. It was a beautiful weekend and we had a nice time doing a bunch of nothing.
• I got things done today: made the bed, 3 loads of laundry (and put it away, yay!), cleaned up the kitchen, cleaned the bathrooms, paid some bills, vacuumed out the car, went for a walk, whew!
• Cameron took a nap today...WHAT??? Which is why I was able to get all of the above done!
• The Fall crispness in the air..woo-hoo! Hanging up my new fall wreath and flag :)
• The house has been crawling with kids since school started. So happy that the kids have made a bunch of friends in the neighborhood. One day after school this week Abbie bounced into the house and announced, "I'm really having a lot of fun at my new school!"
• Cameron finally started pre-school yesterday. And one of his teachers is good friends with my neighbor. We are starting to know people who know people :)
• Making Pumpkin Spice coffee with vanilla caramel creamer...in the Keurig...mmm, right now I'm wishing it was decaf :(
• My best friend is moving closer, only 40 minutes away! Much better than 2.5 hours :) She closes on the new house next week.
• We got the 108 inch long curtains hung up on the 14 foot wide curtain rod with only one or two little "arguments". Love them!!
• Taking steps to get the basement and spare room finished, starting with the electrician adding 20+ recess lights in the basement!

Happy September!

Grateful Friday/Happy Birthday Cooper

Another Grateful Friday, another Grateful Birthday. Today I am grateful for the second of my babies. Cooper turned 7 this morning at 6:24...I think! Anyways, he is my sweet boy!

Yes Cooper you are still as sweet as ever. Just so innocent and kind. Always remembering your Please's and Thank You's. The only time I ever see you worked up is when you are fighting with your brother or sister. I do think that you have finally figured out that when you cry, I will do whatever you want. But even so, you don't take advantage of it. I can't say that I have figured you out though. You are kind of shy and introverted so sometimes it is hard for me to figure out "who you are".

You are currently obsessed with Ford F series trucks. I hear about every F250 and F350 that we see on the road. I also know that there are up to F750's and also an E series commercial van. And if by chance it is a dually, well kiss my grits, there's gonna be a party!

You love to draw and right now your subject of choice is Ford pickup trucks, see previous paragraph!

I am excited to see what kind of man you grow into being.

I hope you stay as thoughtful and gallant as you are now. Always holding the door and wanting to help out. You love to help me cook dinner. The other night I needed the step stool to reach the flour on the top shelf. You got it for me and steadied it with your foot while offering your hand so I wouldn't fall. I nearly did fall trying to see through the tears welling in my eyes.

You have become quite the fisherman this summer. You and daddy and Pappy have spent lots of time on the boat, you like to call her The Red Pearl, but unfortunately I think daddy vetoed that name. We are headed to the beach house later tonight because you wanted to go fishing for your birthday.

You are so excited about starting at your new school next week and meet some new friends. You want to have a sleepover so badly. You have seen Abbie have sleepovers with her friends and you get so sad.

This fall you want to play basketball. Right now that is your favorite sport, other than fishing of course. We have to get a new basketball goal because we had to leave your old one behind when we moved. You were not at all happy about that.

I Love You my sweet boy! Happy Birthday! Time to go to the Beach!!

Grateful Friday

I am grateful for the gift of my daughter. Happy birthday baby girl. A decade of being a mom. I feel like I have always been a mom, at least always wanted to be a mom, way longer than 10 years. It was just that I had to wait until July 2nd, 2000 for God to make it official and give you to me.

Over the last 10 years, I've spent countless hours trying to teach you things, how to read, how to play soccer, how to use your manners, etc. I'm realizing now that as you are getting older, that I will begin to learn so much from you. We are beginning a shift in our relationship. You are becoming a young lady and a few of the "strings" are lying on the floor, no longer attached, but rather ripped away whether I liked it or not.

Last week you snuck my razor and shaved parts of your legs. You've grown up so much this year, especially physically. You may have just turned 10, but are beginning to look more mature than your age. I remember sneaking make-up to school in the 5th grade. Guess we will be crossing that bridge soon too.

I'm so glad that you enjoyed your low-key day with cupcakes and a trip to the pool. It didn't go quite as planned, but tomorrow we'll be back in Clemmons visiting friends and our sleepover at the Herman's will be tons of fun.

You went to sleep tonight with a big smile on your face because you got to talk to Spencer S. tonight.

I should have done this earlier because I'm so sleepy I can't remember all the things I want to write about you on your special day. I just love you so much. You are such a beautiful confident young lady, a fantastic big sister, and a better daughter than I could have ever hoped for.

Today is the day

Today is a big Grateful Friday! Closing day. The first closing is already complete, so hopefully our attorney's office is finishing the final prep for our closing in about an hour and a half. We left Tim's truck at the house last night. The previous owners were out on Monday.

• I'm grateful that this day is finally here
• I'm grateful for our many, many blessings. God has made himself clearly visible to me throughout this entire process.
• I'm grateful for our friends and family that have helped us so much through this time.
• I'm grateful for email and Facebook. I'll be in constant touch with those I love, so missing them won't be quite so hard.

Grateful Friday

Today I have so much to be grateful for...

• my mom for helping me so much over the last 6 weeks. We had some great talks and I couldn't have gotten all the packing done without her.
• that our house sold so quickly and I did not have to have our house "show ready" during the summer when the kids would be here all day
• that we have had wonderful realtors that have made sure everything has gone smoothly considering both us and our buyers are relocating
• for a small group of great friends that I consider family and the chance to have one more night out with the girls this week.
• never thought I'd say it, but I'm grateful for Facebook.
• that my best friend is also moving and will only be 30 minutes from where we are moving