Trevy Tales... Life at the Coppock's

The Last 3 Months Seem Like A Blurr...

2009-08-19T00:04:00.012-06:00

JUNE

My Baby B!

Tummy Time

As my reputation for keeping up with this blog holds even more true, it has been yet again three months since I have touched this thing! I have been sucked into the world of Facebook and seem to have no time for anything else "posting" related...

It's almost the end of August, it's just so hard to believe! My baby turned six months old this month and it is just flying by. He is growing and growing and growing and eating and eating and eating! He is in the 90% + in every measurement that they take at the doctor's office!

He has turned into such a great and happy, happy baby! If I could get him to sleep through the night, I would have NO complaints!

June was another busy month, as they all seem to be. Rob's Mom and Dad came to Colorado to visit, Chris and Blair got married for the first time, and the I have officially lost my mind addition of "Peanut the Puppy" to our already big enough family!

Chris and Blair after the Wedding

We had family pictures taken with the whole damn clan at Hudson Gardens while Rob's Mom and Dad were here. It takes an act of Congress to get everyone together but either the stars were aligned or they were all too scared of me not to show up, and we pulled the pictures off and a wedding to boot!

It turned out to be a beautiful day even though we were slated for a good rain storm! It couldn't have been better! Trevor ended up walking Blair down to Chris and it was the most precious thing I have ever seen...

Onto Pool Day at Debbie's! My girlfriend Dawn's Mom has a summer pool party ritual that we have been invited to this year. Once a month she invites all her girlfriends, and Dawn has invited us all to spend the day in Larkspur at their beautiful home! Trevor loves going to Debbie's to play with the dogs and the train. With all the amazing things at her place, he wants the puppies and the train set she has stuck in a corner of the video arcade. That's my baby - green beans over cookies... Just gotta shake your head a little!

He looks so little - Just gives you an idea of how big those flower urns are! :)

Trevor and the Falcone Puppies!

Trevor in the coolest John Deer EVER!

This is the face of a little boy that is NOT happy that his Grandma just stole a bite of his ice cream sundae! We went back to Old Chicago for dinner with Bob and Virginia and Trevor had to have some ice cream as usual... Virginia snuck a little bite of his ice cream and he was not havin it!

Ahhh - and now Peanut the Puppy! After spending time at Debbie's and seeing just how much this little boy loves playing with dogs, Rob and I had a few serious conversations about getting another dog... to make 4, yes 4! Our other three puppies are 6, 9 and at least 9 years old. The last thing they want to do is be chased around by some crazy pants 3 year old and trying to explain that to him just doesnt compute. So, Mom and I packed up Trevor and the baby after looking for a newf puppy and finding a posting in the Denver Post for half black lab, half golden retriever puppies and let Trevor pick out his new best friend. We played the name game on the way home after he picked him out and Trevor liked Pancake, and we progressed to Peanut. For the first day he called him "New Puppy" and finally got used to calling him Peanut.

They are the best of friends. They give each other a full run for their money for sure. Trevor has been knocked down, scratched, bit, tackled to the ground and just about anything else puppy related and still loves him through it all! The first few nights we baby gated the puppy in our bathroom and it was hell. But the part that made it worth while was to see Trevor asleep on the floor next to the baby gate with his hand slid under the gate to pet his puppy while they slept. Peanut then turned into the "sleep under the deck dog". He would go out to go potty and not been seen or heard from again until around 3 am! Forget it! At least he was on the same schedule as the baby!

Trevor and Peanut the Puppy

JULY

July started with yet another 4th of July with great family and friends. Randy and Pam brought the show again this year and we had the best company to enjoy it with. Chris and Blair, Randy and Pam, Billy, Clif, Nicholle and the world's best neighbors were there to partake in the family record setting bottle rocket blow off and all the before and after entertainment that went on! We had a great time and everyone left with both their eyeballs and all their fingers!

Billy and Chris with a bajillion bottle rockets!

Marcia and Braylen - Who wouldnt miss any of the action!

One of the fireworks!

Skylar and Trev on Marcia's Porch

Another pool day at Debbie's! We have such a good time! It wears me out chasing after Trevor all day but we love it... (I need a stroller to push these kids through this house - it's a mile long end to end on each floor!)

Braylen doin' his thing in the swing!

Trevor after taking a swim

Me and the boys in the pool

BATH TIME FOR MY BOYS!

Braylen is finally big enough to graduate out of the infant tub and into the big boy bath tub with his brother. It took a little convincing to get Trevor to share his bath tub but once they were both in they had a good time together. I walked into the bathroom dry as a bone and without fail I ended up soaked head to toe after all the splishing and splashing and laughing! I find these moments with them some of my favorites!

My boys in the tub!

So I Don't Forget...

2009-06-03T06:59:00.004-06:00

Trevor has this thing for my laser level... He fell on it last night and we had our first injury with blood. He hit his mouth on the level and it must of just hit him right on a tooth because there was blood everywhere! Rob was of course at the grocery store and I had Braylen in my arms... After checking it out, the cut was actually small but the blood and the swelling was crazy! After Rob got home, he took Trevor upstairs to show him his mouth and he said to me... "Mama, get all this ketchup out of my mouth!" He's never seen blood before, so makes perfect sense to me that he thought his mouth was full of ketchup!

I'm sure he's gonna have one fat lip this morning when he wakes up!

More in May and Just Because...

2009-05-24T23:48:00.012-06:00

Baby B rockin' his new shades

May has been a much better month for all of us in the Coppock clan. Primarily because my sanity has kicked back in and I think we are finally in a groove now with our new lives and our new addition. Braylen is growing like a weed, and has turned into a little tank at his whopping 3 months. He is almost 14 lbs now and I swear is 2 ft long. I have his actual stats somewhere, but the point is he is a big boy already! He is such a happy baby and I am thoroughly enjoying my boys now! He eats really well, is picking up Trevor's sleeping habits of almost every two hours and I just can't explain how much I love having him next to me when he wakes up in the morning... he is happy and laughing and squirming around. Its just precious. Too precious.

Braylen sleeping in his glider

Braylen holding his bottle - Too funny!

He is rolling over, can hold his bottle and can sit by himself in his Bumbo. He has tried some cereal and some applesauce and seems to like it, so a little at a time seeing that it's still kind of early for all that. I wouldn't have even thought about feeding him those things just yet, but he kept grabbing for everything I gave Trevor so I thought maybe that was supposed to be telling me something...

Trev has been a crack up this month... He has turned into my little parrot. Repeat - Repeat - Repeat... And past that - oohh, the scoldings I get from him are too much - He's so serious when he is trying to let me have it that I can't keep a straight face.

Some that I love... I wish I could remember them all...
"Mama - Look what you did!" (not a good thing BTW)
"Mama - It's your bedtime, go to your room!"
"Mama - I wanna ride in the hoopdy hoop." That's what Rob calls our 2006 Camry, a Hoopdy...
"Can I play the remota-computer?" Which is what he calls my laptop. Remote/Computer I guess.

He is playing on my laptop like it's his job. I just can't believe how this kid can whip around on these websites. Games, coloring, you name it, he can do it - touch pad and all! It just kills me. Not to mention that he now takes my iphone to bed to play at night. One night, a week or so ago, he went and laid down in our bed to wait for me to come to bed. Braylen had fallen asleep and so I hung out downstairs with Rob for an hour or so catching up on some TiVo'd shows. Trevor came down with a completely put our air about him and said to me "Maamaa... where's my phooonnne?" I had obviously taken too long coming to bed and he wanted to play his games. I have laughed for days over that one.

I feel like he has really turned 3 now. He is such a little boy now and not a baby. He is lazy as all get out or spoiled rotten, but we are working on that. It's amazing how if I ask him to put his shoes on he can't but if he wants to go outside they are already on when he comes to ask to play... Hmmmm :)

He still isn't too sure about this whole brother thing. He will give him a kiss goodnight and goodbye but that is about it. Braylen is not allowed to be anywhere near Trevor's blankets and he really doesn't like him on his couch either. If people are too loud he will tell people... "Stop making that noise, you're gonna wake brother up!" But if he does it, not an issue. Tell him that he has to be quiet or go in another room and he storms off and says "Trevy is so mad!" and throws his arms down in a miff. It's so funny how he is in his own little world 100% of the time.

He has done some things this month that I really want to remember... he sang his first song and read me his first story. When I say read, I don't mean read. He looks at the pictures and tells me the story of what is going on, but HE thinks he's reading and that is really all that matters. It's so cute. He sings the Taxi Taxi song off Noggin and the Clean Up song too. We're just not big singers so it was so cute to hear him for the first time.

SO what did we do this month? Well, Jill and I went to Endulge for drinks and then Jing for dinner. We had a great time. I got to drink martini's with edible flowers in them that make your mouth numb for the first time. We had fun. She's a blast. I have spent a lot of time with the girls which has been a blessing. I love the fact that after all this time, we're talking 14 years, it just seems like we picked up where we left off and never gave it a second thought.

Mom watched the babies Friday night so Rob and I could have a date night. It was the first time we had been out alone since our anniversary in October. We hit the outlet mall and did some serious Memorial Day Sale shopping and then to Pasta Jay's for dinner. I love that place. We of course had to hit Wal Mart on the way home to pick up something for Trev. He was in bed, but we got him up and let him play with his toys for a while after we got home. I thought he was excited to have us home, but really, first thing out of his mouth was - "Mama - did you get me a present?"

We celebrated Mother's Day at my Moms for the afternoon with her, my Aunt, my Grandma and cousin Linda. It was fun catching up on all the family gossip.

Dad and Chris making pizzas.

My Dad had us up for a pizza night at their new house in Evergreen. It was a beautiful day up there and we had a great time. Trevor ran around like he owned the place and played with Zeus until they were both pooped. Braylen slept almost the whole time we were there, bless his heart. Dad makes the best pizzas ever and he loves doing it, so it made for a great afternoon. We also did a little birthday catch up with them so Trevor got another birthday cake and another present... Lucky kid!

Chris and Trevor eating pizza and tomatoes!

Trevor with the belated birthday cake!

New Rooms for My Boys

2009-04-19T12:47:00.004-06:00

We moved Trev into a bigger bedroom to make room for Braylen!

Braylen's Room
Which he will never sleep in until he is 6 months older or more I'm sure!

Trevor Turns 3!!

2009-04-19T00:42:00.006-06:00

As Close to a Family Picture That We Were Gonna Get!!

Trevor After Blowing Out the Candles

Happy Birthday My Monster Baby!

Happy Birthday My Angel Baby!

I just can't believe it has come so quickly. My baby isn't a baby anymore, he's 3!! The more and more I look at him the more he looks like a little boy now. I look back at the pictures from his second birthday and am in awe of the changes he has made in just one short year. He is 37 inches tall and weighs 34 lbs. He isn't little anywhere anymore. His feet are getting bigger, his head is getting bigger, his legs are getting longer and he is getting to be so strong it's crazy!!

We had family over for his birthday. Nothing too exciting other than cake and gifts. Presents for this kid are a daily event. You cannot get in our front door without him asking if "you brought a present fora me?" It's yet another horrible habit that we have, but it keeps him happy for now. With that said, choosing gifts especially for his birthday wasn't easy for us or any of the family. He has everything!

I did find an interactive Wall-E and Eve at Toy's R Us that I thought would be perfect. I sent Rob to the store to pick up Eve and some other Cars and let his Uncle Chris know that if they didn't know what to get him, Wall-E was his... and boy was it!! Only 3 in the state and Blair told him not to come to the party without it! OMG! Poor Guy!! He hauled butt to the store in Aurora after calling them to hold it, ran in, paid for it and booked it to the party, Wall-E in hand!! Man, that's love!

He loved all his presents and had a great time. He blew his candles out like a champ and was all about getting into his cake! It was a great day for him. His poor Daddy... their birthdays are four days apart and Trevor gets all the attention!

Trevor Playing with His Uncles

I'm 3!!

Playing with Wall-E

Trev and Uncle Joe

He LUVS These Things!

Playing with the Cars Firehouse from Uncle Joe

HUNGRY HIPPOS! He asked for this stupid game for weeks!! "Amma bringing my Hungry Hippos today?" What?? Where did he even see this?

February and onto March...

2009-04-18T23:08:00.008-06:00

Trevor Brushing His Teeth in His Lightening McQueen Robe!

Baskin Robin's - Our First Family Outing

Not A Happy Baby, But I Have Cute Shoes On!!!

At this point it is hard to remember all of the things that have happened in the last 60 days. I can't believe it, but Braylen is two months old already. It seems like it has gone so fast, as it does I guess!

We are all getting used to our new lives. Trevor did well adjusting as far as not being mean to the baby but he did turn into a little devil in the flesh! He really started to act out in other ways and I pretty much thought I was going to have to make my reservations at the hotel with the pretty white jackets and padded walls!!

I could not understand why my angelic little boy had turned into such a brat. We were almost out of the terrible two's or so I thought! He was biting me, kicking me, throwing things at me, flailing around about everything and anything, crying over everything and anything, all this while I'm trying to manage life with a new baby that doesn't sleep unless he's held on hardly any sleep myself!!!

But the long and the short of it all is that I think I have it under control... it was a little painful at times, scabs on my nose from being bitten and a fat lip here and there, and I think we're good!

Life is different, and one of the things that I forgot about is that I used to go to work 4 days a week and now it's only one. As much as it may have nothing to do with it, in my mind I really think the fact that I am home with him 6 days a week now and the rules are pretty much mine to make is a big change. Giving him EVERYTHING and I mean everything, and doing everything that we could think of wasn't working so the hammer finally dropped... It's serious discipline time.

I have never really played Billy Bad Ass with him, but this crap was out of control and it had to stop! There were nights he went to bed without a bottle, without his TV, without a light on in his room, nothing. This may sound trivial, but these are all his comfort things that he has had since he was one!! Rob packed up all of his toys with the exception of a few and took them away... it changed.

He now, for the most part has been a very good little man!! He plays with one toy at a time, and then puts it away, the flailing and screaming is way less frequent than before, he eats at the table like he should... it's better... therefore I am better, and need less wine!!

Braylen is sleeping a couple hours in the daytime at a stretch and then he takes a couple 45 minute naps and does about 8 hours at night! Heaven! He will sleep in his glider now which is a wonderful thing. He was only sleeping on his stomach which was nerve wrecking for me and never let me sleep when he slept. Once he got tired of that program, he wouldn't sleep unless he was being held... That changed once, thanks to the wisdomes / googling / advice of my mom, we figured out that we had been starving this poor baby. Turned 2 ounces into 4 ounces and he was down for the count! Ahhhh...

The jacket and padded walls will have to wait!

Braylen and Daddy

One of Our Attempts to Get Him to Sleep - This Worked for a Day...

Braylen

So I SUCK at this!! Cut Me Some Slack, I Just Had a BABY!!!

2009-04-18T21:54:00.009-06:00

So, since the last post, which was years ago, lots has changed in this little world of ours. I have always said that things are nuts, and that has turned to normalcy, but after the newest little addition, it has been nuts and I am doing my best not to turn into a suburban housewife on prescription meds to get by!! (I'm joking, thanks to my girlfriend Jill, we are trying the natural vitamin way first...)

So, here is our newest little love bug... Braylen Davis Coppock. He was born on February 11th at 7:22 am - 7 lbs. 7 oz. He made it easy to remember these things because all the important things are doubles.. 11th, 22, 7.7... fun!!

Braylen 3 Days Old

Things went well considering that I had another C-Section with him. I was less scared this time as I knew what to expect. When they hooked up the fetal monitor during all the prepping the nurses informed me that I was having some pretty major contractions... FUNNY - I didn't feel anything, and that was before the meds! The nurse that put my IV in was horrible and thanks to her I couldn't bend my wrist, which worked out in her favor because I wanted to strangle her but couldn't!! Off to the OR which took forever because it took the Anesthesiologist 6, yes 6 times to get my spinal block in. Let's talk about a little pain shall we??? I think I was crying at that point, no I know I was crying at that point. But all in all, after a little joking with Dr. Cohen and Dr. Johnson, and the Anesthesiologist, who's name I can't remember, little baby Braylen was here with ten fingers and ten toes, jet black curly hair, dark blue eyes and lungs that most definitely work!!

After spending three days as a guest at Saint Anthony's Central, and seeing that it was my birthday, I decided to pack up and head home. As much as I missed being at home, it was so nice to have a break from the day to day responsibilities that we all have. I loved the staff in Labor and Delivery once again and highly recommend that anyone have their babies there because they are WONDERFUL! It's a hike, and Colfax isn't the most scenic part of town, but it's worth it.

And I have to make mention of a few things about my stay this time (Trev was born there also...) my brothers spent so much time with me in the hospital. Chris and Blair were there almost every day to visit me and the baby. Joey was there, Harlan spent 4 hours with me all by ourselves one afternoon, Catherine came to visit until we scared her off trying to figure out how to get Braylen to nurse, my mom was there, Alicia and Derek came the day he was born, everyone. It was wonderful, thanks.

The first day home was easy. Misleadingly easy, but easy. He slept, ate and slept some more. I remember thinking to myself, "I've got this in the bag! What was I worried about??" HA - and then I found out that I worried for a reason and two is definitely harder than one. Some days are easy, some days are just days and others have been sheer hell. They are getting so much better, and those stories are to come. We are all doing well now, but all the things people tell you about having a second child, (or more) are true, true, true, at least in my/our case.

Harlan and Braylen

Bray - This Picture Cracks Me Up!

My Birthday / Valentine's Day Cookie from the Nurses / Staff on the L&D Floor.
They delivered fresh cookies everyday at 3:00 - Yummy!!

The Only One Comfortable in that Hospital Bed!

Braylen and Harlan

11 Days and Counting...

2009-01-31T21:53:00.004-07:00

Well January has come and gone in a flash. Today was my last day at work until after the baby is here and I can get back to the salon. Its amazing how much has changed in the last three months not to mention the last 30 days. Our house is different now that Rob is done with his projects for the time being and we are finally to a point where there isnt something major to be done every day or every night for him after he gets home from work.

Rob decided to lay hardwood floors on the main level of the house after Thanksgiving. What was supposed to be a "couple weekends" very quickly turned into a couple months. Complicated by the fact that there were oh, I dont know, holidays and company here in the midst of everything going on. None the less, they are done for now. Done enough to live on, live with and not live around for a while. They turned out beautiful and I dont think he or Christopher want to see another piece of flooring, a nail gun, a sander or any of it for a while to come!!

We survived the holidays and the New Year. 2008 was a busy year for us. We lost a few loved ones, Rob changed jobs, Trevor started and stopped school, we found out another baby was coming, Chris and Joey both moved home and lived here for a while, Chris got engaged, oh, those are just a few... but all in all it kept us busy.

If baby Braylen cooperates we have 11 days left of life as we know it. Trevor is in his new big boy room and out of his crib. He has actually done really well and I am so proud of him. We still have the nights, like tonight, where he has every excuse on the planet to get out of bed, but for the most part he has handled the change like a champ! I know that he is enjoying his new room because he shows it off to everyone that comes over. I was worried that he wouldnt like it because for some reason that little boy doesnt do well with change!

We bought a new car last week and Trevor was with us when we picked it up. He had a holy fit because it was not "Mama's car" and we were putting his car seat in a different car that was NOT my Jeep. It was short lived and he likes the new car but it was almost comical seeing how attached he was to my Jeep for whatever reason!

He is growing so quickly! He is speaking in 7 and more word sentences... He counts, knows all of his colors, knows how to play video games on my computer, iphone and his vsmile system... its all little things but I am just amazed at what he does. He eats like a champion and I am still in awe that he will eat all the vegetables on his plate before anything else. We watched him eat an entire container of strawberries tonight. Its hard to take them away because they are so good for him and he loves them, so we dont. If he wants to eat himself into a strawberry then I will let him!

I took him to O'Brien park in Parker a few weeks ago on our way home from a quick trip to the salon. I was shocked at how much he does on his own now. Up the ladders, down the slides, up this, over that, down here, up there... it was crazy. But he's good at it and has the time of his life.
It has been so nice to have the week to spend with him just the two of us since after the holidays. As hard as it is to be home and as much as I didnt think I would ever say that, it will be time that I cherish in years to come. I have not had this much time with him since right after he was born and its so different when they are older. We play and go get a "hamburger, french fries, ice cream cone and a toy". We play games and paint and do all sorts of things that he likes to do and most of all we have "nap time" together before he takes his nap where we both lay down on the couch and watch a little Tom and Jerry. He covers me up with his blankets and tells me to close my eyes... its quite cute. He is old enough now that when he is tired and ready for his nap he will walk himself upstairs to his room and very quietly get into bed and take his nap.

Its just cute. Hes getting to be such a big boy. I will miss having him all to myself, but am so looking forward to his future with a little brother. None of us are sure how he will do, I guess that you never can be sure. The bets are on either being the over protective helpful brother or the one who wants to take everything away from him and send him back. It wont be long and I will know the answer to that question!

2009-01-30T08:31:00.002-07:00

Seeing again that I have kept my habit, or lack there of for my blogging there is tons to cover for what has happened since October - Yes, October! Horrible, I know. Things have been nuts, and I mean nuts around this house since before the Holidays and things are just starting to get back to some resemblence of normalcy. Although it will be short lived, it has been a nice few weeks of having things calmer and quieter around here.

Rob decided to put hardwood floors in the house right before Thanksgiving. (Good timing right, seeing that we host all of the holidays in the family) What was supposed to be a project for a couple weekends turned into a project for months! I have written this "little" project off to his "nesting". Not only did we decide to do the floors, we painted everything on the main level practically and put up crown moulding in the family room. All "little" projects!! All in all it was hell. I have no idea what we were thinking trying to get all this done before Thanksgiving, before Christmas, before the new baby is here... but its done. Done enough to live with for now, done enough to have all the tools back in the garage and to be done with the final dusting!

Christmas Day 2008

2009-01-29T00:24:00.006-07:00

Just Mom's Crew...

The whole Fam - (Top L to Btm R): MIL Virginia, Gma Ella, FIL Bob, Gpa Don, Brother Chris, Brother Joe, (Blair is missing because she took the picture), Cousin Brit, Rob, Cousin Eric, Me, Cousin Donnie, Cousin Billy, Aunt Kathy, Mom, Harlan, Step Sister Heather.... shhhheeesse..

The Hargrave Clan

Christmas Day, rolling on 3 hours of sleep was another great day. (Thanks to my sweet husband and thoughtful soon to be sister in law who brought me carmel macchiatos) We spent the day with my Mom's side of the family like we always do. Trevor again got spoiled rotten. His Amma and Papa spoiled him and his Uncles went crazy! I had no idea that they made so many Tom and Jerry movies, but they do, and he got 7 of them. He got a new kitchen to "make dinner time", and lots of other toys to keep him busy.Trev playing with his new carrier and Mack.... (We need to buy stock in Disney!)

Trevor playing with his new Kitchen
Trevor with Santa

Trevor had a special visitor come on Christmas Day. Santa actually came and delivered his presents to him in person! We lost my Step-Grandpa Don this summer and it has been tradition in their family that Don dressed up as Santa every year for the kids and grandkids. Without him here, Harlan took over Santa duty. I have never taken Trevor to see Santa purely because neither one of us does well with long waits or lines. So basically we had no idea if he was going to climb up in his lap and be fine or plain freak out at this Santa in his house of all places!

He was perfect and I bawled (hormones?)... Santa came down the stairs with his bag of gifts and Trevor sat right next to him, opened his presents and then helped him hand out the rest of the presents. He had great conversation with Santa and didnt seem scared a bit! I was so proud of him! It was precious and a very cherished moment for us.

We decided this year to skip the whole big to-do family dinner and just have everyone bring a couple heavy appetizers for everyone. It was so nice! No big meal to cook, no big mess to clean, no schedule, no huge table to set, it was wonderful especially for me! Everyone could pick and snack on whatever they wanted all day and it couldn't have worked out better. We still had tons of food left over, but not having all the pots and pans was fabulous!

It was a very busy 48 hours, but we are so blessed to have so much family. This was our last Christmas with just Trevor and the first Christmas since both of my brothers have been home. This was also the first Christmas without Don and my Uncle David which was something that I really tried not to think much of. It just made me take a few more pictures and try and enjoy the time that I have with the people that we are so fortunate to still have around.

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-01-28T23:16:00.010-07:00

I have figured one thing out about this blogging thing, that being either I dont know what the crap I am doing, or long drawn out blogs with pictures are just a pure pain in the butt! That being said, seeing that I once again have so much ground to cover, have decided to break this one up again as well! Maybe one day I will learn that if I blog more often, it actually means way less work! Hoa, go figure!!!

Christmas this year was a blast. This was the first year that I can say Trevor had some idea of what was going on... PRESENTS! PRESENTS! and more PRESENTS! That little boy got so many presents that I still am unsure of who gave him some of them. He is spoiled rotten. Not to mention that his little brother isnt here yet, so its all HIM! For now anyway!

We spent Christmas Eve with my Dad's side of the family. We did what we do - we made pasta! We actually became reasonable humans this year and didnt make enough to feed a third world country which saved hours of work for all! We work hard for our meal on Christmas Eve... every year!And... This was Blair's initiation into the family! This was her first year rolling and cutting and she is actually still around! I guess it can't be all that bad!

October So Far and Just Because...

2008-10-27T23:26:00.005-06:00

Its been a normal month around here, just with a couple little twists like usual. My mom is back watching Trevor during the day while I am at work and he is loving life. He knows when she is coming and if he actually wakes up before she gets here thats one of the first things he says... "Amma coming?"

We have been able to spend a lot of time together as a family over the last couple months. Rob is getting more time with Trevor than he ever has and its truly a blessing. We take little trips at night to Wal-Mart for silly little presents and a chance for everyone to get out of the house, Daddy included. Trevor thinks it's such a big deal to be able to wonder around and pick up everything in the toy department until he decides on the "one" he wants to take home.

He is growing and talking and dancing and climbing and oh my God... getting to be such a little boy. He is still my baby but even he will tell you that he's a big boy not a baby.

He is opinionated and stubborn and too smart for his own good. There are very few things that we can get past him and bribing is a lost cause. Making him throw his Hot Wheels in the trash because he won't brush his teeth or taking toys away because he wont sit at the table and eat doesnt even phase him. He is all about his own agenda and we have more than learned to pick our battles.

How can anyone look this upset with 4 Krispy Kreme doughnuts infront of them? Maybe it's the bedhead?

My favorite little blogger Cheyna does a post on ramblings every month. She posts all of the little things that her daughter does and says, and will be even busier with a new addition to the family. Long and short, I think I may have to piggy back on her idea. Its just a cute way to keep track of the little things!

For instance... the other day Trevor and I were upstairs jumping on the bed in the guest room. He has figured out that if he sticks his tummy way out it makes him tip over and fall dead weight into the bed which is so fun in case you've never tried :)! He was sticking his BIG belly out and I said Trevor, you have a big belly... and he replied Trevy has big belly like Daddy's big belly!! HA HA HA - I cracked up! I must be looking pretty good for 6 months if Daddy has the BIG belly in the family! HE HE HE!

If I wear my hair curly instead of straight - He will say to me - Mama, your hair is dirty. or Mama, you need a fan! (Fan is Trevoreese for Blow Dryer)

There are more, they happen every day, maybe thats what I will try and post on a daily basis? Im sure at times I will be the only one to find the humor, but at least I will get it documented somewhere.

Outside of that, Rob and I have turned into CNN junkies over the last month with this election and the market. I dont know that I have ever watched a ticker in my life prior to the last couple months. All of this stuff has taken over our prime time television schedule. Thank goodness for TiVo because the 3 that we have are working overtime right now. 7 days to go and I have no idea what I am going to stay up all hours of the night watching while I'm waiting out my heartburn?!?!?

What else? I am gathering things preparing to do the boy's rooms. We will be moving the guest furniture into the basement, Trevor into the guestroom and the baby will be in Trevor's room. Lots of moving and painting to be done and times a wastin'!

Oh, and we have decided to name the baby Braylen Davis Coppock. I will get used to calling him by his name instead of "the baby" before too long.

Our 3rd Anniversary

2008-10-27T23:14:00.004-06:00

Rob and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary with my brother and Blair. They took us to dinner and my mom watched Trevor for a couple hours so we could get out for a little bit.

We went to Brio which is a beautiful place. None of us loved the food, but we had a really good time and it was so nice to get out for a while. Rob would have been happier at the Counter Burger next door but I love trying new restaurants, and now we know that we dont ever have to go back. Although once I can have a cocktail again its a great spot to meet for drinks.

Trevor's 1st Circus!

2008-10-27T22:05:00.005-06:00

I see a trend developing here! This blog, once intended to be daily or even weekly has turned into a monthly catch up of our goings on, or lack there of. I truly had intentions on using this as my virtual scrapbook seeing that my oh favorite hobby has become a thing of the past. He is getting so big so fast, and with his little brother on the way I have to do a better job at keeping track of what happens around this place...

Trevor's 1st Circus!

Chris had a great idea to take Trev to the circus, and that's exactly what we did... All of us. Rob, Trevor, Amma (Grandma), Chris, Blair, Joe and I took him to see his first circus. He was so excited to go. I had been showing him videos from the Barnum and Bailey website for a week so he had some idea of what he was going to see. We got to the Denver Coliseum, which is a little different for a circus than the stock show, and he was instantly in overload. Flashing lights and toys, music and noises coming from every direction in sight. This poor kid didnt know where to look first.

It didnt take long for him to figure it out and dial in on the toy that he wanted. A shiny gold and red motorcycle. My mom said she would buy it for him and Trevor was more than helpful pushing her hand holding her credit card to the lady behind the counter so she would hurry up and get him his motorcycle.

(Trevor and his Uncle Joe - Getting a better view)

We got his motorcycle and went down on the floor to see the elephant painting, yes, an elephant painting a picture with his trunk, up close and then find our seats. We had great seats in the 9th row and could see everything. When the lights went out and the music started, he really enjoyed the show... especially the fireworks. His attention lasted a whole 30 minutes until he was ready to head back to the toy table for more. Little did we know that there was a matching ATV that we had left behind, and he was going to have it regardless of the fact that it was zip tied to the display.

One ATV to match his motorcycle later and back to our seats for about another 30 minutes. He really did well considering that this child doesnt sit for long, ever. He sat in his seat, had a snack, watched the show and played with his new toys.

Eventually he did get tired of playing with his motorcycle and the ATV on the floor under our seats. Not to mention that I wasnt a huge fan of the idea but he was happy doing it. I got a good tug and a "Come on Mama" and we were heading back up the stairs. He found a little spot all of his own and was more than content sitting in the walkway of the Coliseum playing with his toys. Who's kid is this? I guess he could have picked a dirtier floor to play on, maybe?!?

Isnt that how everyone eats a snow cone?

It was a great afternoon. He had a blast and talked about it all day. He slept with those silly toys for at least two nights and regardless of the fact that they do absolutely nothing, are still two of his favorites. It was fun to be back at the circus after 25+ years. We all enjoyed it! Maybe next year he will last a little longer and we will get to see more of the show!

Summing it up and September So Far...

2008-09-09T15:34:00.004-06:00

I know there is more to the month, but if I dont have pictures for it, it didnt happen!!!

So far September has been a sick month for all of us. Trevor came down with what I thought was a cold about a week and a half ago. Turns out after his first trip to see the Doctor, he had two Accute Ear Infections, not a cold. He refuses to take any sort of medicine, so the Doctor gave him an antibiotic shot and a pain reliever shot that trip. Rob had the priviledge of being on that trip. He said that within 20 minutes he was a different kid. His eyes opened up, his nose stopped running and he was in much better spirits. I am totaly against shots, but I guess in this case it had to be done.

He had to make another trip back to the Doctors the next day for two more shots of antibiotics. Rob said that he did great and he did seem to be feeling a million times better. He went back to see the Doctor that Tuesday and got the green light. He ears were much, much better.

He was out of school for a week and two days. He still has a crappy cough and his nose is still running, but there really isnt anything we can do about that seeing that he will NOT take any meds. Rob and I have now caught his little cold. So we all have it now!!

When Trevor finally got his appetite back - this is what it looked like....

He is feeling much better and is pretty much back to his same ways. Being the crazy little boy that he is. He did so well when I took him back to school on Monday. I was really expecting the melt down seeing that he had been at home with us for so long. I put him down in his class, he gave me a big hug, rubbed my back and said, "bye Mama"... and off he went. I couldnt believe it.

I talked to Rhiannon as I was leaving and she was shocked too! I guess she and Tonya had pretty much been expecting the same thing but he shocked us all!! What a BIG BOY!

Big BBQ at School

2008-09-09T15:23:00.004-06:00

Creme's Annual Picnic

The Bouncy Castle

Getting Trevor on the Pony

Riding the Pony

Creme had their Annual BBQ / Picnic on the 22nd after being rained out the weekend before. Rob and I met Trevor at school around 4:00 to join the party. He was outside riding cars on the playground when we got there. I really didnt know what to expect seeing that we are new to this whole day care / school thing. They went all out for these kids!!! Not to mention that there were hundreds of kids and parents there to navigate through.

They had three ponys to ride on two bouncy castles and face painters for the kids to mess around with. They cooked all the burgers and hot dogs and the food went for miles. I have never seen so many cookies and cupcakes in my life!!! I ate more of them then Trevor did. We played for a while, walked around a lot, ate a little and rode the pony and he was ready to head home for a nap. But what a good time for the kids. Hopefully next year we have a chance to spend a little more time and get to know the parents a little more.

Where Did August Go????... Cont'd.....

2008-09-09T15:13:00.003-06:00

There has to be an easier way to get pictures in these blogs. I have to drag and drop them through my entire post to get them in so I am going to break this baby down into seperate posts or Im going to pull my hair out...

Abby Came to Visit...

Trevor and Abby playing at Dinner...

Trevor's little friend Abby came over to visit while they were here from Florida. I have to say that Trevor is not the best sharer with most kids, but when it comes to Abby it's a whole different story. He is so nice and considerate with her (except with the dog kennel... see Abby's blog) but he will share with her and give her toys and all sorts of things that I have never seen him do with any other little kid. Its really cute.

We took the whole fam to Old Chicago for dinner. The three of us, Cheyna, Abby, Andrew, George, Jane, and Duke. They did really well and shared dinner too. Cheese bread was a great hit! It is always good to see all of them when they are here. Pretty soon Abby will be a big sister and Trevor will be a big brother. Once again, Cheyna is ahead of me by just a couple months!

Where Did August Go????

2008-09-09T14:28:00.008-06:00

So, keeping with my M.O., it's been over a month since I have had a chance to get to this blog. I just don't know where the time goes. August was a very exciting month for us. Lots of changes and new things for us and Trev. I am going to do my best to cover it all...

August 1st was Trevor's last day with Cami. She is now at the University of Northern Colorado and we are so happy for her new move! We have been so lucky to have her for the last year and are sad to see her go, but couldn't be more excited for her. We had a little get together with everyone before she left.

Trevor Opening Gifts from Cami

Seeing that Cami was headed to College, it was time for Trevor to follow in her footsteps and head to school. He started at Creme de la Creme in Lone Tree on August 4th. What a BIG BOY!! This was so exciting and so hard on me. I dont think there is a better place to have him be, but it was heart breaking for the first three weeks. Thank God for the wonderful people there. They let me sit in the lobby and watch him on the monitors for hours and hours and never gave me a hard time. Its amazing how quickly he has become comfortable there. He now gives me a big hug and says "Bye Mama" and runs off to play... Just amazing.

He is in Ms. Rhiannon and Ms. Tanya's class. His little classmates are between 2 and a half and 3, even though he wasnt quite old enough to be in the class when he started. They decided because he is bigger than most of the kids his age, this would be a better fit for him. Here are some pictures...

The Inside of Trevor's School

Trevor Playing with Balls in the Gym

The Waterpark - Yes, Waterpark!!!

Trevor Not Being Cooperative...

The Gazebo by the Koi Pond

They send "Report Cards" home with him everyday so we can see what he did and how he did. They are on a 30 minute rotation from class to class. They are learning Spanish, Art, Math, Creative Movement, Music and more. Its hard to believe he is 2 when looking at his schedule, but he really seems to be doing well.

He doesnt like eating there, but I dont blame him... things are a little different there. He cant sit and watch TV and take as long as he likes to eat at school like he does at home. So he gets a really big breakfast and comes home and eats like a champ!!! Hopefully this will change as well.

CHRIS AND BLAIR GOT ENGAGED!!!

Chris proposed to Blair (FINALLY), and I got to go along for the ride... I have a million pictures but I will only post a couple here since this post is going to be huge anyways... He sent her on a "scavenger hunt" to find clues along the way that led her to her final destination. I had to play stupid the whole way along, but there were so many people in on it, I couldn't feel to guilty fibbing my butt off about knowing a thing. It was a great day and I was so happy to be part of it! We had a little party afterwards with friends and family to celebrate!!!

Pool Time!

2008-07-27T08:56:00.008-06:00

I took Trevor to Palomino Park to spend a little time in the pool! Chris and Blair had a little BBQ/Volleyball/Pool party and we joined the fun. Blair's friend brought her little girl Kiara and they played in the water for hours.

He had more interest in playing on the steps than actually swimming around, but all in all he had a great time!

I was so proud of him for playing well with her. He doesn't spend a lot of time around kids his size and age and usually wants to hang with the adults, but they seemed to get along really well. Not to mention that she is a doll.

Grandpa Don

2008-07-26T23:58:00.008-06:00

What a year this has been for my family so far. I suppose we should consider ourselves very blessed that the passing of loved ones has come very few and very far between until lately. We lost my Grandpa Don earlier this month and it has been a hard time for my Step Dad and my Mom.

My Dad has spent the majority of this month in Arizona with my Grandma Shirley helping her get through the arrangements and getting Don back to Denver for his burial. He was buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery and the ceremony is something that I will never forget. This was my first Military funeral and if you have never experienced one, once you do you will not forget it.

It was very regimented and silent. The flag ceremony is interesting and again mostly silent. The gun salute, although done with fair warning is still soul shaking. It is nothing shy of appropriate for the people that earn that ceremony.

If you have not had an opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery and feel the energy in the thousands and thousands of acres of headstones and witness the Changing of the Guards, this will get close. Arlington will take your breath away and leave you speechless. I hate to suggest that visiting a cemetery should be at the top of anyone's list, but it is an education in itself. To see the headstones of the people that served this country in not one or two, but three and four wars is sobering to say the least.

I am looking forward to Shirley coming back to Colorado to stay. We had not seen them since right after Trevor was born and it will be nice to be able to spend more time with her once she is back.

Obviously Not Enough Sugar!

2008-07-17T19:42:00.003-06:00

Today we went to see Doctor Furr to get the all clear for day care. He was really good considering that he hasnt had to see the doctor for a long time. He got a clean bill of health and I promised him an ice cream cone for making the trip! He cried a little at the doctors and it was close to nap time but I never thought that he could sleep through this!

SLACKER!

2008-07-17T15:56:00.008-06:00

Trevor's First McDonalds Ice Cream Cone!!!

So it's been over 2 months since I have posted anything on our blog, so this ones gonna be a doozey! Lots and Lots has happened since our last post. Life in our little house has been exciting. I will try and keep this in order... wish me luck!

On May 10th, we lost my Uncle David. He had been fighting rhumetiod arthritis for a while and coupled with cystic fibrosis, it just wasn't a battle he was going to win. Most of you reading this blog have already heard the story but if you havent... The beauty of this story is that after 12 long years of "dating" his girlfriend Roxanne, they finally got married. It happened to be in his ICU room at Rose, but it happened! The hospital staff there were AMAZING. If you didn't see the story on channel 9 news, YouTube, CNN or many of the other channels or sites you can google it! Anyway, the short story is the hospital made their cake, the flower shop made her bouquet, they brought in the minister, all friends and family were there including the entire ICU staff and the amazing Doctors that were by his side, channel 9 news cameras filming, and they FINALLY got married! It was such a happy day! Less than 24 hours later, he passed away, but we are all content with the fact that he had the most amazing last day here!

Ok - sad stuff out of the way...

May was here and gone with all of that, so we'll just move on to June...

Rob's Mom and Dad came for a visit! We always get so excited when they are here. Its not that we do anything exciting, but just the fact that they come to visit is enough. They live in Manassas, VA and its a long trip for them. We usually just spend time at home visiting, eating and playing with Trevor. Rob's dad is a HUGE soccer fan and we watch a lot of "football" while they are here. We had people over like normal so Bob and Virginia had a chance to see everyone at once. They spent a day with my Grandparents which is so nice. It is kinda crazy that my Grandparents and Rob's parents are the same ages but it works out great. My parents are gonna have to get their playmates out of my brothers I guess!!

We took them to Landsdown Arms for dinner which is as close to English Pub food as we can get here in the "Ranch". They had a great time and we learned a little bit from Dad about Irish and English Fare... Smashers, Bangers, and Blood Pudding. I can handle the Smashers and Bangers but Im out on the Blood Pudding! I stuck with good ole' fish and chips - SAFE!

They were here for a week and it always goes so quickly. I wish they would move here, but maybe soon we can travel there and visit. It would be nice to take Trev in the summer and get to the beach!

We've been having these cookoffs almost every weekend this summer. Chris and Rob have this man competition with cooking. So far its been ribs and burgers, but its been good times and good food. We had a burger cookoff and believe it or not, my Grandma and my Aunt got in on the competition... It was fun... WAY too much food but a great time.

Christopher introduced my 82 year old grandfather to Beer-Pong. Can you believe that? Not to mention that he is totally GOOD!! They were killin' em!

The weekend of Father's Day Joey moved home from Arizona! Yippee! Its was a great weekend! I had all my boys here for Father's Day. We had a big BBQ with the family and some friends. Joey is staying here with us until he gets settled and we are so excited! I know Trevor is loving having some Uncle Joe time!
This was also the day that we found out that there is going to be another baby in this crazy household! YEAHHHH! Blair and I had gone shopping to get all the goods for grillin' that day. She was convinced that I was pregant and we were buying a test. We were headed to Costco, and everyone knows you dont get one of anything at Costco... Anyway... she grabs the tests, we pay, leave and head home. Rob sees what we have in the box and rushes me upstairs to take the test.

There's one line, two lines... Oh my gosh... and then I hear Rob laughing, "Jennifer, you guys bought ovulation tests!!!" So I scream for Blair, she comes running up the stairs so excited and I break the news to her that she grabbed the wrong box! We should have known that 10 bucks for 10 pregnancy tests was just too good to be true!! So, Rob proclaims that he has to do it himself if it's going to get done right, and off to the store he goes... 10 minutes later with a pregnancy test in hand, he comes home.

I snuck off to take the test. And sure enough... one line, two lines - BABY!!!! Blair was the only one I told, and thought Father's Day was the best day ever to spill the beans! SO.... I took the card that I bought for Trevor to give his Daddy on Father's Day and wrote... "Happy Father's Day, Love Trevor and Baby #2." I thought it was pretty cute, and made it obvious what was going on... HA - Boy was I wrong!

Rob opened his gifts and his card, read it and looked at me puzzled. His response was - "Well go take the test then." I about died... are you kidding me? You dont' get that? I rolled my eyes and before I knew it, my Mom had snatched the card and read it herself... "I dont get it. What am I missing?" Aunt Kath next,"I dont get it either, what's going on?", and then to the boys. Chris first, "Are you kidding me? I get it. How dont you get it?", and then Joe - "How do you not get this, did you read the card?"

As I am dieing because I really thought I was being cheeky, but clear at the same time, Blair yells... "I have an announcement, Jen's having another baby since none of you can read!" And then... THEY GOT IT! Holy crap! So... there's the story. It was probably one of those things that was much funnier in person, but I just couldn't believe it. Plain English people... Are you kidding me?

So - Lets see what happened after that bit of news....

We had a little get together at my Mom's with all of the Hargrave girls! Its so fun to get everyone together. I never get to stay very long when I have Trevor in tow, but its just nice to see everyone at once! We sit around and shoot the crap and talk about how crazy our family is... who doesnt do that?

And since then life has just been normal... Playing out side with Trevor, spending lots of time in the sprinklers and relaxing as much as possible.

I feel great, no problems, no morning sickenss and after going to the Dr.'s to seeing the little bean and hearing a good heartbeat, I am finally excited. Its just hard not knowing... I'm due on the 18th of February! That's so fun because Trevor was born 4 days after Rob's birthday and this baby is due 4 days after mine!!! Too funny!

Meet Our New Neighbors!

2008-04-19T23:25:00.011-06:00

The Mama and a Baby In Our Front YardThe Two Pistols!!

Mama and Another Baby

One of the Babies Playing in our Front Bushes

Two Babies Rock Climbing in Marsha's Yard Next Door

One of the Babies

HE IS IN MY PLANTER!!!!

I Have Too Many Of These Pictures!!

Oh My Gosh - They are the cutest little things!

I have to admit, having them this close to home can be a little nerve wrecking, but they are so much fun to watch! There are six, yep six little babies and the Mama. They live on both sides of us. There is a den under Marsha's porch (to the West) and then they have another one under Elaine's porch (to the East).

WE'RE SURROUNDED!!!!

The only reason they aren't living under our's is because it is chicken wired to death to make sure she can't get under there! Not to say that she didn't try because she did!!

Trevor and I do "Fox Checks" all day! We run to the windows to see if they are out playing. They run up on the porch, through the grass, under the cars, in and out of my flower planters, all over the place! It's so much fun to watch. There are two of them that have to be the ornery ones in the bunch. They are constantly wrestling and pouncing on everything!

Sad to say that the bunny population around here has seemed to disappear, but as long as they leave Bella alone they can stay!

Rockstars!

2008-04-19T23:13:00.006-06:00

Trevor and Abby have started a band!!!

This was too cute! They were actually playing together, and what you can't see is that I am playing the piano! It took a bit for Trevor to get used to someone else playing his drums, but once we got over that they were JAMMIN'!!! We are a musically inclined family, but geeze!!! Better get this kid on the golf course!

Trevy Turns TWO!!!!!!

2008-04-19T22:26:00.019-06:00

Trevor Opening Presents

Trevor Sitting in His New Lounge Chair

Trevor Showing George How to Play his "Ano"

Chris Helping Trevor Ride His New Bike!

Trevor and His Bella Cake!

We celebrated Trevor's 2nd Birthday at home with family. We couldn't have had more perfect weather to get together for his special day! (It snowed the next day!!!) He was on birthday overload, with play time and intermissions to open a gift here and there. We finally got through them all around 4 o'clock. Did I mention that he took a two hour nap in the middle of his own party!?!

I bought a little puppy cake for just him. It was so cute, a black and white puppy that was just too cute to pass up. He was so excited about his "Bella" cake! For the record, there was no warning label on the cake regarding what would happen to anything that came into contact with the "cute" black frosting!! Trevor looked like a diesel mechanic for two days... and I don't even want to get into diaper details!!!!

Rob and Chris had a rib "cook-off" that afternoon, so we all had more than cupcakes to eat! Rob just wanted an excuse to use the new grill he got for his birthday!

All in all, it was a great day. He is very spoiled, or very loved... however you want to look at it! Cami took him to Monkey Businez on Friday so he could play his little heart out and then shopping for toys on Monday! Thanks to everyone that came to celebrate with us!
He is such a lucky kid!!

Happy Birthday Trev!!!

A Little Late

2008-04-02T21:47:00.007-06:00

It seems like this was so long ago already, but at least Im getting them up here!
We spent Easter at our house with the family! This was Trevor's 3rd Easter, but the first that he could really participate in and enjoy! After finding his Easter basket, Trevor and I dyed eggs for the first time Easter Morning.
He had ZERO interest in dying the white eggs... but he was all about giving our eggs a tie-dye effect with a few dunks in every color he could get away with! We had an egg hunt in the back yard and I think he found the same eggs over and over thanks to sneeky cousins, uncles, grandmas and grandpas that kept stealing eggs from his basket to re-hide for him to find! Thanks to his Great Grandma we put $8 in the piggy bank! Gotta love those money eggs!!

Thank Goodness those 2 inches of snow we woke up to Easter Morning melted fast because we had a great time! Not to mention that Trevor had chocolate and candy for BREAKFAST every day for a week!

Every Mom Should Read This...

2008-03-08T12:02:00.004-07:00

What a good reminder of the eternal perspective of being a mom. I hope
it encourages you like it did me...

Invisible Mother...... .

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and
ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on
the phone?'

Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because
no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I
am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie
this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a
clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What
number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30,
please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude -
but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen
again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,
and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting
there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was
hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty
pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package,
and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of
Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her
inscription:
'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their
whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great
sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was
fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are
you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied,
'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see
the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No
act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a
great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my
own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As
one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4
in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That
would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him
to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his
friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been
added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

A New Addition!

2008-03-07T21:01:00.003-07:00

The time is here! We have less than a month to get this "Potty Party" started! We went last night and bought Trevor's first pairs of Big Boy Pants! After much excitement about the packaging, the diaper came off and the Big Boy Pants went on! He didn't love them at first, but the feeling of freedom didn't take long to kick in... He is sitting on his potty and seems to think its like a recliner and then he remembers that if he sticks his foot in the little "pot" it plays music... So not the way that it is intended to play, but right now its at least fun and something that keeps him interested!

Wish us luck!

Just Because These Are TOO CUTE!

2008-03-02T10:41:00.004-07:00

Just a couple pictures to follow behind the sunglasses story... We were playing outside on a cooler day. Trevor was in his "Grumpy Old Mens Hat" which he loves. He stopped dead in his tracks and headed to the sliding glass door... Once inside he went on the hunt. I knew he was looking for some sunglasses. Mine were the first ones he could get his hands on, and life was good. Back outside to play with the completed outfit. He put on a little modeling show for me and I just love these pictures. Everyone could use a little bling right!?!?!?

1 Month and Counting to 2!!

2008-03-02T10:13:00.004-07:00

I cant believe it. This time has passed so quickly. All of my friends and family told me that these days were so precious and would fly by and they have. Trevor will be turning 2 on the 6th of April and it just doesn't seem possible. He is starting to act like what I would consider a two year old would act like. Frustration and attitude, with such innocence that I just havent found it in myself to get mad yet. (YET) Over the last month we have left several restaurants because he just couldn't find it in himself to sit or eat. All these new places are so exciting and he puts on his explorer pants and just wants to roam and play and see! Oh to be TWO!

We took a trip to Park Meadows a couple weeks ago. Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a fan of the mall. (What???) Yep, its so true! But we had an emergency! B (AKA Blair) bought Trevor a pair of sunglasses from the Childrens Place that he fell in love with. He has an amazing attraction to stylin' shades. While playing in the back yard, he broke them. One of the lenses fell out and he was left with one side with a lense, one without! "Oh no!" and he put them back on, and back to business.

So off to CP to replace the sunglasses. As we pushed him in his stroller with his broken sunglasses on, I know people thought that I was crazy, but he refused to take them off. We got to CP, handed him a new replacement pair and that just wasn't good enough. His were camo, but there were blue ones, and green ones, and red ones, and he had to have them all! Four pairs of sunglasses later, the old broken pair were in my purse, and he had new stylin' shades once again. Ahhh, relief. Its funny, people didn't stare as much when he had both lenses in his sunglasses as I pushed him back through the mall...