Cooper Lately

New favorites, play dates and 2 very tired parents. Here's an update on the whirlwind known as Cooper!

A new favorite trick... doesn't make his mommy nervous at ALL!
Of course beside him is his trusty toolbox! Hop up, jump in everyone!!

Realizing he got caught...

Who doesn't love a cardboard box?

He loves to sit in boxes, tubs (like 1 gal. ice cream tubs), hampers, oh and my favorite... today he tried to fit into my strainer... a 4(ish) cup strainer!... and he got mad because he didn't fit. HAHA!

Also over the last week, we've had a couple playdates!

Matt offered to watch Alyah & Cooper for a couple hours so Jeni & I could have a girls movie matinee!! It was SOOO nice to go out with a friend... with no diaper bags!

Alyah, major ham! I love this girl.


Another major ham. TOTAL cheeseball.


Matt was brave to take them both on... luckily he had them over naptimes so it wasn't too bad! They enjoyed each other, for the most part, when they weren't stealing toys from each other. :)

Little miss Addison came to our house last night for a couple hours so her parents could go see a movie with their 2 oldest! Matt & I braved our first outting with a 1 & 2 year old... going out to dinner.... and we totally rocked! Go us! Lucky for us, Cooper & Addison get along very well! They're so cute.

Shampoo mohawks!


Playing under the bed.... cheeseball Addison!

Playing with magnetic bugs! (thanks Kim!)

Tuckered out...

It's been a fun week! Now on to the next...

Macho Man!

In honor of my family's commitment to working out lately...

I am proud to introduce... Cooper... our little Macho Man!!!

A Heavy Heart

Words cannot express the heavy heart I feel for Lynette & Rusty Polinder, our second cousins, whose little daughter Olive Hope went home to be with Jesus on Friday. Her memorial service tonight was beautiful and she was loved by everyone who knew her, and many more around the world who didn't know her, but who were lifting her in prayer.

Olive was born 2-1/2 months premature while Rusty & Lynette were living in Thailand. She was feisty, courageous and beautiful. She survived many complications, surgeries, moves, and they found themselves back in South Bend before her life was cut short just before she was 4 months old.

Now, as a mother, I cannot imagine the heartache and sadness that Rusty & Lynette have been feeling for the last couple days... they have fought so hard for so long and have loved so much in the last 4 months.

With all that in mind, I know that last night, instead of working out, I held my son for a good hour after he fell asleep. I cuddled him a little longer, he gave me a few more kisses today, I tell him every night how much I love him as we tuck him into bed and I try not to let those little annoying habits of his get to me quite as much as usual. God has given us a healthy and happy little boy and I love him with all my heart.

Even though we know that she has been given a new body and is healed, while we are still on earth, we will never know why God chose to take her home so early. Please pray for Rusty & Lynette not only now, but in the future as they continue to heal the hole in their heart that will always belong to little Miss Olive.

If you have kids, give them another hug, "I love you" and kiss and thank the Lord every day for the blessing(s) you have been given.

Feather Your Nest

Hello all. Over the weekend I read on a blog I follow that a fellow blogger recently lost her husband. Because of this tragedy, she must close the doors to a boutique she owns.

She sells some of her boutique items online and so I thought I’d pass along the website because it is stinkin' super cute stuff, and in order to liquidate everything, she has everything marked at 25% off.

The website is: http://www.shopfeatheryournest.com/

I think there has been a lot of response, so I’m not sure how much inventory is left, but you should go look anyway!