New Pictures

I decided to post a few pictures from the last few weeks. The first one is of Tim and I. We NEVER have pictures taken together, but here one is. The second is of Cooper enjoying a day at the playground down where the old Manor House was. And the third is of Abby and the new haircut she got today. She went and in and told Dana exactly what she wanted. This is it.

The End is Near

Only a few more hours until our return to school. I've been dreading this day for the last two weeks, but God used a trip to Walmart to change my attitude. We all (I mean all four of us) went to Walmart this afternoon and seemed to run into a parent of or a former student on every aisle. AND they were all parents of or students with whom Tim or I one had had difficulties or "run-ins" with at some point or another. They were all extremely gracious and seemed genuinely glad to see us. It reminded me why I do what I do and why I choose to work with the students that I do. I'm ready to return and see all of my students tomorrow. Some I have truly missed.

Abby and Cooper both have their clothes laid out - Abby is not so much ready to go back. Cooper, on the other hand, seems to be thrilled. He's moving up tomorrow to the two-year old class and it's all he can talk about. I hope the "thrill" continues tomorrow morning when I have to leave him in a different "house" without his "Kisti" and "KK".

Pray for us as we embark on a new year and all God has planned for us.

Girls' Day Out - The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker was beautiful. Here are pictures of Abby and her Nutcracker, Abby and a toy soldier, and both of us with one of the mice.

Finally...A Break

We have been so busy since my last post. Abby went to a cookie decorating party and an ice skating party. She is such a social butterfly. Cooper had his first Christmas party at the daycare yesterday. It wasn't much more than an overload of goodies at snack time, but I couldn't resist going and taking pictures. We all went to Santa's Wonderland with the Johnsons last night and are finally home for a much needed day of rest and housecleaning. We start the Christmas circuit tomorrow with Tim's dad, then Abby and I are off to see The Nutcracker with Grammy on Monday. Abby is so excited as this is the culmination of one of her projects at school. Cooper's last day in the Baby House is Monday - he's graduating to the "Big House" on January 5. We know he's developmentally ready, but I don't think I'm emotionally ready and I'm pretty sure he's not ready to leave Kristie, Kayla, and Melissa.

Abby and Finley decorating their cookies. Abby decorated 11 as compared to the 3 that the other girls each decorated. She is in such a hurry to do everything.

Riley, Abby, and Taylor all ice skating for the first time. It wasn't even ice - some sort of stuff like cutting boards are made of, but they didn't seem to care.

Kayla, Kristie, and Cooper at his Christmas party!

Bad Mom

I guess I'm the only one in the world who didn't take pictures of her children playing in the snow yesterday and last night. Yes, it snowed in Huntsville, Texas. Last night it was snowing pretty hard and BIG flakes. Abby went outside to try to catch them in her mouth and Cooper just looked at them. It made us all wish we were going skiing for Christmas again, but that's not meant to be.

Tim's still at school, yet again. These last few weeks have been crazy and he has basketball games again this Thursday (tonight), Friday, and Saturday. I'm so looking forward to the two weeks off for Christmas and hope we don't fill them up with too much.

Two different people in the last week have suggested that we share our testimony as to what God has done in our life with Cooper. It truly is a miracle that he came into this world at right at 3 pounds, had NO medical concerns, and is now a thriving, rambunctious little boy who knows all of his colors, numbers, and ABCs. Pray with us and we seek opportunities and discernment to know God's will in when to speak and what to say. Also pray as we anticipate another eye appointment. He knows all of the eye chart pictures and I so want the doctor to tell us what he can and can't see this time.

More pictures this weekend, maybe. Abby has a cookie party with some of our friends from Tarleton Sunday, so I hope to get those up.

Visits with Santa

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of the kids with Santa. We went to Breakfast with Santa at the club last Saturday morning and that was a disaster.

Then we went to Cooper's ECI Christmas party last night and it was a totally different mood. Not sure what was going on. He should have been crankier since it was 7:30 at night and awful close to bedtime.

One more picture...Cooper decided to play in a box on Saturday afternoon. He entertained himself for well over an hour with this box.

The Christmas Season Has Arrived

Thanksgiving day is not over yet, and I've already transformed this page and my house for Christmas. Tim has always been one to get our tree up Thanksgiving afternoon. Today I said we weren't going to do that, but as soon as we got home he and Abby were getting it all out. Since we didn't have a tree or decorations last year (went skiing and refused to do much at home), I agreed.

This will be Cooper's first real Christmas at home. That first year he had only been home a week and weighed exactly four pounds. He just kept looking at all the stuff coming out of the boxes today. We are making a real effort to make our children mindful of the true meaning of and reason for Christmas. The materialistic urge to buy too much creeps in, but we keep reminding each other that that isn't what it is about.

I know this is choppy, but wanted to document the decorations going up and Cooper's amazement.