Paul, Jenn, Cooper, Kinsley & Ol' Sarge

KINSLEY HAS ARRIVED

2010-04-15T19:00:00.001-05:00

I did not sleep much last night, as I was anticipating today's surgery and the arrival of little Kinsley. I got up bright and early and started to finish up some last minute things at work and to get ready for our hospital stay. We left promptly at 8:15am and headed over to the hospital to be checked in by 8:30am. My surgery was scheduled for 10:30am, and boy did those 2 hours fly by! Paul and I sat in the hospital room and made a bunch of small talk while they prepped me for surgery. I was nervous and could have cared less what was on tv, but the tv seemed to preoccupy Paul. Once all the nurses cleared out of my room and it was getting closer to go-time, I started crying. I am not even sure why, but the tears started rolling! When they came to get me it was such a sureal moment knowling that Kinsley would be in my arms in a matter of minutes. I went into the delivery room and they gave me my spinal tap and strapped me to the table like Jesus on the cross. My teeth were chattering and I was shaking from the nerves and anxiety. They don't allow the husband's in the delivery room during the prepping, so Paul stayed behind and paced around the room, anxiously waiting for the nurses to come get him. Just before they were ready to cut, they brought Paul in and he sat near my head and talked to me the entire time. This surgery went much smoother than the one I had with Cooper. Once she was out and I heard her screaming, the tears started yet again! They handed her off to Paul and he laid her near me so I could kiss her and then he laid her next to my stretched out hand so that I could stroke her precious little face. It was not soon after that, that they wisked her away and Paul followed to make sure she was taken care of! Daddy's little girl already! I mean I just had major surgery and was still cut open, but screw me ... LOL! They finished up my surgery and I reunited with Paul in the recovery room about an hour later.

Kinsley Elizabeth Cameron was born today, April 15, 2010, at 11:12am. She wighed in at 7lbs 1oz and 20in long.

Kinsley - 30 wks

2010-02-12T18:22:00.000-06:00

Here is a pic of Kinsley at 30 wks in the belly! 2 weeks ago she already weighed over 3lbs so I am anxious to find out how much she weighs now. I am hoping maybe 30lbs since that is what I have gained so far... haha ... wishful thinking!

I can't tell who she looks like. She does have hair so I am anxious to see if it will be light like mine or dark like Paul's?? The dark spots are NOT hair ... the wrinkles are what is the hair (the lady perfoming the 3D/4D ultarsound was pointing it out), but you can't really see the wrinkles in this pic. She also pointed out the little hair floating/waiving around ... hmmm ... how old is she again? Hopefully she will come out ready for bows!

PAUL COMES HOME

2010-02-11T22:00:00.002-06:00

Tonight we patiently waited for daddy to come home from his 4th deployment! The plane was a little delayed so Cooper got a little stir-crazy waiting and waiting and waiting. An hour later, they let us go out to the flight line and watch as the plane landed. As you can see Coop was watching in awwwww! When we arrived it was daylight and now the sun had gone down, the temperature had dropped and the rain started to drizzle. The ideal situatiuon for when you want to look somewhat decent for your husband, whom you haven't seen in 3 months... NOT! So much for doing your hair and putting on make-up! HAHA! I think I cared more than Paul! Although, nothing can really help minimize the size of the prego belly!

Coop watching as the plane lands!
With the welcom home sign in tote, we were ready for Dada to get off the plane. (There is that pretty hair I was talking about ... gotta love the rainy/cold season in Cali)

As soon as Cooper started to see the guys come off the plane, he was jumping up & down & screaming, "DADA DADA DADA DADA." Let's just say he wasn't shy about his excitement!

Just as Paul stepped off the plane and shook hands with the Commanders, he ran over to Coop, who was shocked to see that Dada was finally home! No more talking on the phone and pictures... he was real again! I have to admit, I did get a little choked up ... tears of joy of course!

Finally whole again!

Heading home! Nothing could separate these 2!

Cooper Loves His DaDa

2010-01-22T19:00:00.005-06:00

Cooper loves this picture of his DaDa. It is just a pic of Dada in his flight suit, standing in front of the airplane (very handsome I might add), but Coop carries it all around the house. It was on the dinner table with him tonight and DaDa was "pretend eatting" with him, even though DaDa is really deployed right now. Coop just adores him!

Cooper - What a Jokester!

2010-01-22T18:50:00.001-06:00

Cooper is such a good helper

2010-01-15T15:45:00.000-06:00

My parent's got a new comforter set for Christmas and don't you know Cooper, being the lil' helper that he is, is right in the mix!

Fun pics of Coop to start 2010

2010-01-10T15:50:00.002-06:00

God forbid you go to the restroom without Coop. He thinks he is ready, but he isn't!

Let me in! MY TURN!

Snuggling up with Popeye, Duke (aka "Duuuuke") and Diva

Time to blow dry Sarge ... No, Coop, wrong end! I think he knows that though! Blow dryin' the booty!

Let's turn it around!

SHHHHH Popeye! There are no rules in blow drying!

Coop quickly developed an obsession with the hair dryer ... we had to go so far as to hide them and even turn up the tv to mask the noise of the hair dryer when we needed to dry our own hair!

Back to work!

Today is dress like DaDa Day!

What cutie!... just like his Daddy!

Mr. Cool ... messin' around at the dinner table!

On the road again

2010-01-04T16:03:00.001-06:00

After Christmas we headed to Austin for New Year's. Coop was tuckered out on the way there and the way back! I was sick, it was raining and my dad was driving on little to no sleep! I think we all dreaded the drive, but it was good to see the fam in Austin. Plus, if we didn't show, we would never hear the end of it from the fam! Everyone just wants to see Coop, which I understand, but it is sometimes more a burden to half to try to squeeze in time to pass him around ... especially when I am sick, we are all exhausted and Paul is deployed.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T20:00:00.001-06:00

TOYS, TOYS AND MORE TOYS

2009-12-25T16:18:00.001-06:00

Cooper is checkin' out his new toys!

WOW! Look at my tent!

Sarge is allowed in my tent! ... no one else ... for now! Everything is MINE, MINE, MINE!

Hey, pay attention to me!

Let's ride this horsey!

YEEHAW!

Hi DaDa!

Live chat with DaDa!

Coop just needed a good laugh from his GiGi!

It has already been 3 hrs and we are only halfway through opening all the presents! Cooper is just stealing everyone else's presents!

LIL' CUTIE-PIE!

Popeye better not try to brainwash Cooper!

Back to the tent!

If you are wondering what is catching Cooper's attention ... Uncle Bill is opening his golf clubs! I tried to warn everyone that it is not a good idea and they need to wait 'til Cooper takes a nap!

Cooper had his eye on these golf clubs from the moment he saw them! MINE MINE MINE! Bill gave him one to play with, that is until Cooper was swinging it and chasing the dogs and about to take down everything in sight! Then the tantrum came when we had to take away the weapon!

Cooper was back to being in a great mood after his nap time. Here is a pic of DeDe and Cooper just before we walked out the door to take Coop to stay with Mum and apaP's.

Mama and Cooper on Christmas night ... oh and baby Kinsley (aka "Kiki") in the belly

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T16:57:00.002-06:00

Cooper is sleeping with his Christmas friends!

Puppy love!

The FEAST!

Look what Santa brought Coop!

Family presents!

Cooper's 2nd Birthday

2009-12-20T19:00:00.001-06:00

Today, we decided to take the kiddos to Chuck E. Cheese's to celebrate Cooper and Riley's 2nd birthday. Riley is only 3 days older than Cooper!

Mama and Cooper

Drivin' the tractor

Hellooooo?

Popeye is helping Cooper play the games!

Cooper and Riley ridin' the rides together.

(L to R) Cooper, Mama, Lauren and Riley ... chowin' down on pizza

(L to R) Carson, Brittany, Mama and Cooper

What an arm!

The ball didn't quite make it so Coop did what needed to be done! ... cheat!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Riley was great at blowing out her candle, but Cooper just decide that he wanted the fire ... thus he grabbed the candle!

Cooper gave Riley a babydoll for her birthday! He didn't want her to be the only one without lots of presents, especially since they drove 4 hrs to come celebrate with him!

Penguin puppet from Nana

A shaving kit just like DaDa's!

Cooper and Nana
Mama, Cooper, Carson and Brit ... Carson was ready to be friends but Cooper was a little more stand-off-ish!

The whole fam ... except Paul :( (deployed)

I guess you can see that the party was a success and quite exhausting!

December 2009

2009-12-19T17:43:00.000-06:00

Coop is ready to go to MiMi's, but he is waiting on my mom and I to get our sh-- together and head out the door!

So, he decided to sit down and wait ... tellin' Santa (aka Ho Ho) all of his woes.

Gaga couldn't resist the photo op!

After the long work week, Popeye loves to sit and read the paper to Cooper on the weekends... but only about SPORTS!

Ignore the headline on the paper ... I made sure there was no brainwashing going on, my dad was just explaining football!

Cooper is in the hiding phase ... shhhh ... he thinks we can't see him! hmmmm!

Cooper loves to help and watch Popeye shave.

HMMMM!

Popeye, what are we looking at?

THE ELF - Kieth's one-man play!

2009-12-10T14:53:00.000-06:00

So, now I am back in TX and my mom and I decided to drive to Beaumont, TX to meet up with some co-workers to see Keith's one-man play. HE WAS AMAZING! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

The ELF!

Keith, The Elf, is telling Kinsley she better be a good girl!

Me and Keith!

Robbie and Keith

Robbie, Me, Keith, Robin and Lynda (The work fam)

Is it really snowing in TX?

2009-12-09T15:17:00.004-06:00

I just got back to TX and it was a winter wonderland! I am a mom that is really no fun, b/c I was worried about Coop getting sick that I would not let him be a kid and play in it. SORRY COOP! Maybe next year!

Paul Leaves for Deployment #4

2009-11-29T14:48:00.000-06:00

Well, it is time for another deployment! Tear, Tear! It never gets easier! Hopefully this will be our last for awhile! Kinsley is scheduled to be born at the beginning of April and then in May we are leaving for San Antonio, TX, where Paul will go to Pilot Instructor Training (PIT) until the end of September. After all that, we head to Del Rio, TX for abotu 3 yrs, where Paul will be an instructor pilot for the T-6! I am hoping that he doesn't get picked up for a deployment while we are in Del Rio, b/c if he does, he will be gone for a year!... a year too long!

TX ... Cali ... Boy / Girl? ... Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T14:26:00.002-06:00

So, we all flew to Texas for a week visit with the fam! Paul was extremely sick for most of the week leading up to our trip and he was kind enough to pass it off to me! I was really sick the days right before we left and the day we arrived, so Sarge I stayed with my parents while Coop and Paul went on to Conroe to spend the weekend with Mum and apaP! Then Coop was off to spend a day or so with Paul's dad and Paul came to get me and we met up with them in Austin. Once we got to Austin, we could hardly stop to breath because there was so much planned ....
We stayed with Paul's mom the entire time and I worked a ton. Each night we were trying to see as many people as possible and get as much done as possible. We ate one night with Granny and GinGin, we ate one night with the Tondre's, although I left early to go get all the Christmas shopping done with GiGi and DeDe, and then towards the end of our trip we went out to eat for Lynn's b-day and had some great mexican food with a couple of her friends.

After all that, it was time for Paul and I to head back to Cali w/o Coop or Sarge. This was the last time Paul was going to see Coop 'til he returns from deployment, so you can only imagine how hard it was for him to say his goodbyes ... tears were flowin'! You might be wondering why we didn't bring Coop back with us ... well, we were going back to Cali for just a few days b/c Paul had to be in town right before he deploys and I was planning on going back to Texas right after he deployed ... it was a lot of traveling for Coop already, so we chose not to fly him to Cali and turn around and fly him right back to Texas. My parent's were nice enough to keep him for the week we were gone, but then again, we didn't have to do much arm twisting! HAHA!

Once we got back to Cali, Paul and went to the doctor for my 20-wk ultrasound to find out the sex ... There was a song playing on the radio in the doctor's office, "There She Goes," and the doctor was moving all over my belly trying to get a good shot of the baby. She started singing, "There she goes. There she goes again!" She said, "She is all over the place." I said, "SHE?" The doctor replied, "Yes, you are having a little girl!"

IT'S A GIRL! I didn't realize how emotional and exciting it was going to be for us seeing as how we had been through this before with Cooper, but it totally was! I think tears streamed down my face for just about the entire hour we were there! Happy tears, of course! I thought I was excited .... well, Paul surprised me b/c I think he is more excited about having a Daddy's little girl than I was. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic, but Paul is just beside himself! On the other hand, maybe he is just excited that since we now have one of each, we don't have to try for any more! HAHA!

We then spent the rest of the week enjoying peace and quiet and enjoying one another's company. Then we were blessed to celebrate Thanksgiving at our house with all of our closest friends: The Purcells, The Habbestads, The Shalleys, The Buckleys. We ate some great food and then watched the Aggie game! WHOOP! We came so close to beatin' t.u., but it just wasn't meant to be. At around midnight, some of us girls went shopping for the Black Friday sales!

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-31T14:01:00.001-05:00

I hate this stupid outfit!

I am leaving! I am just going to walk away and show my dissatisfaction!

OMG, why aren't you listening to me! Take this damn thing off!

After a little bit of reasoning with a 22-month old and some milk and food, he finally calmed down!

Now, off to the squadron Trick or Treat!

As you can see, Cooper is Mr. Independent and prefers not to hold DaDa's hand ... he wants to go where he wants, when he wants and to run free!

UGH! Another picture Mama ... seriously?

Cooper and Riley were precious in their monkey and penguin costumes. Riley's favorite movie is Happy Feet, so it was no surprise that she had to be a penguin!

Cooper was so sweet to share his candy with Mama!

Now, off to Trick or Treat in Downtown Vacaville with Lauren and Riley and Amanda and Maddie. The hubbies were all at a conference out of town! Their loss!

Amanda and Maddie ... Maddie is lookin' fierce in her shark costume!

The kiddos are turning on the charm ... what kiddo wouldn't if you give them a lollipop?!

After all the walkin', Trick or Treatin', candy eattin' and dinner at Chili's ... Cooper was exhausted and he made the ride home such a delight! Right about now, I was wishing Dada was home for me to hand Cooper over!

The Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo

2009-10-15T13:18:00.003-05:00

The whole gang ... (L to R) Cooper, Paul, Jenn (Kinsley in the belly), Jason Purcell, Lauren Purcell, Riley Purcell, Julia Buckley, John Habbestad, Amanda Habbestad and Maddie Habbistad!

Cooper and Dada!

Hello ... I can't lift this ... isn't anyone gonna help me?

OMG! I give up ... I will get a different one! Why is there hay all over me? I don't like getting dirty! WARNING - I am a few minutes away from freakin' out!
Okay, this one is mine!

Nooooo, this is mine ... you girls betta back up off my pumpkin!

I guess paybacks are a B----, b/c now Riley is tellin' Coop to back up off her wagon! Maybe it is time to get our pumpkins and run ... heading to the petting zoo!

Okay, 5 minutes later these kids with ADD are now friends again! Water under the bridge.

You come back here! I only want to grab you by the neck and swing you around ... doesn't that sound like fun!

Gotcha!

LOTS OF NEWS TO SHARE

2009-09-27T19:18:00.007-05:00

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted anything and tons has changed. Right around the time of my last post, we found out that I am pregnant again! WHOOP! I didn't want to say anything yet because we were having problems right away. I was having severe pains around my c-section scar. After many doctor's visits and ultrasounds, the doctor's have come to realize that the pain is probably just internal tearing of the tissue around my c-section scar, but nothing that will cause harm to myself or the baby. Thank goodness! I haven't slept well for the past 7 weeks just worrying constantly ... afraid to move. I couldn't even pick up Cooper for the first couple of weeks and that was doctor's orders. That was so hard, because there is nothing better than good morning hugs, rocking him to sleep at night and smothering him with smooches. He would want to crawl in my lap and I couldn't pick him up. :( Now, that has all changed and he is allowed to crawl on me like the wild monkey that he is! I am almost 11 wks along now and looking forward to getting out of this 1st trimester, which has brought on a lot of morning-noon-and-night nausea!

Let me stop there, to note that as I am trying to write this, my son is standing on his 4-wheeler and free-falling onto the couch and then attempting to jump off the back of the couch! JESUS! Calling on Jesus! I really don't want to smack him, but today has been a trying day and he is asking for it! I will refrain for now! But let me tell you, I have already pulled him away from the dog's water bowl umpteen times today because he has felt the need to dip his paint brushes in it and paint the walls, couch, toys, tables, everything ... with the dog's water. Then he has proceeded to dump it out onto the ground and get the fireplace sweeper and mop it up, only to spread ash on the floor and then ... oh yes .... paint the wall with the wet, ashy fireplace sweeper. Again, I have been callin' on Jesus all day! Somehow, Cooper has survived to 5:30pm today!

Now, back to the news that I was mentioning earlier ...

As if being pregnant wasn't enough, we found out we are moving to Texas in May. Here is the plan....

Feb: Paul comes home from deployment when I am 30wks along and we begin preparing for the birth of baby #2.

April: Deliver baby #2

May: Pack up and move. I will be moving to Houston w/the kids for 6mos (staying with my parents) and Paul will be in training in San Antonio for 6mos.

Oct/Nov: Our whole family will be back together and moving to Del Rio. We should be there for 2-3 years.

Well, that is all I got folks! Cooper is now on the table and free-falling to the couch ... grrrr... what a little stunt devil! He has no fear! I need to go before he breaks a bone ... or my table! HAHA

JET-SETTING TO NYC

2009-08-04T22:30:00.004-05:00

After spending the entire weekend with the Purcells and Walkers, I caught the midnight plane flight to NYC. I arrived at 8:15am and then headed into the city for some work meetings. While I was visiting Luxottica and waiting for the fashion show to begin, we goofed around with their photographer who printed this picture out from the Never Hide ad campaign layout! This is me sportin' the RayBan Aviators! What a blast! I have known many of our suppliers for at least 6 years now, so they are more like family. I know the trip from coast to coast and back in 24 hrs seems dreadful, but I always have a great time visiting!

Now, the plane flight, was a different story. It was the wackiest bunch of yahoos on any midnight flight I have ever been on. It consisted of a baby crying, dog yelping, a 38-year old man screaming profanities behind me most of the time, the lady to my left refusing to put her bag away and the lady to my right had 1.5 amputated legs ...what in the world goes on on these midnight flights! LOL! I really wanted to tell them all to shut up and friggin' go to sleep. I popped some Tylenol PM and passed out!

AGGIE FRIENDS COMIN' TO TOWN!

2009-08-01T10:51:00.011-05:00

On Thursday, 7/30/09, Chris and Ashley Walker flew in from Ft. Worth, TX to visit. I am so glad they finally got here! We have not seen them in over 2 yrs. The last time that Lauren and I had seen Ash was when we told her we were both prego! You may be wondering how we know the Walkers ...
When Paul was a Sophomore at A&M, he, Chris and Jason were in the Corps of Cadets together. Well, Ashley and Lauren knew each other, but now I was the newest g-friend. Paul and Ash had Accounting together and Paul realized that Ashley and I lived next to each other in the same apartment complex. Small world! So, Paul wanted me to meet his good friend, Ash, and we went over to her apartment. When Ash answered the door, I said, "Hey neighbor!" From that point on, Ash and I refer to each other as "Hey Neighba" and it was a great friendship from that point on! It is always great to have Aggies come visit! Never a dull moment!
Day #1:
Lauren and Riley took them to Fisherman's Wharf for some yummy clam chowder in Sourdough bowls! Day of tourism while I was working! :( Then Chris and Ash went to Cooper and Riley's last day of swim lessons with all of us! After all that, everyone came over to our house for dinner and catchin' up on old times.
Day# 2:
Paul took everyone to the Sim to fly. They all defended freedom today ... and then crashed into a mountain! HAHA! After that, it was a trip to Monsoon Burger ... you can guess how yummo it is! Then nap time and party time. We all met up at Jason and Lauren's for dinner and just had a great time catchin' up on good times with great friends! (Pics to come)
Day 3:
We headed to the Jelly Belly Factory for a tour with the kiddos. At first, it was Riley's turn to act as if her legs don't work and fall to the ground showing her complete disapproval of God knows what! All the while Cooper looked at her like she was crazy. Then she calmed down and we went on the tour of the factory. Both kiddos were surprisingly good until the very end when Cooper lost control. He fell to the floor kicking and screaming and letting me know how ticked off he was. I tried to pick him up and allow my arms to restrain him, but he is too dang strong. He was kicking and flailing his arms everywhere. The only good thing was that we were at the back of the line and all the commotion really got the line movin'! HaHa! After the Jelly Belly Factory we stopped for some burgers at In-N-Out and headed home. The guys were off golfing the entire morning and mid-afternoon and when they returned we all decided to head to Napa!

Me and Coopie at the Jelly Belly Factory. The hat didn't last long. As soon as he realized it was on his head, he ripped it off, tore it up and threw it!

The guys posing after a long day of golfing!

Riley told Coop what's up! She was layin' down the law in their relationship!

Pics from our drive through Napa...

We stopped off to eat dinner in Napa and all hell broke loose! "What is this crap you are making me eat? I am going to throw it on the ground instead! So there!"

This doesn't even begin to explain the mess of food everywhere! It is getting more and more difficult to take him out in public!

"Here, you try this crap and you'll see why I threw it on the ground and started crying! Give me more guacamole and I will behave. And don't put it on my chip for me ... I am a big boy and I can do everythiing by myself ... don't help me ... don't hold my hand ... just shut up and let me do my thang!"

Day 4:
Sailing on the San Francisco Bay! We got up early and headed to the bay for a beautiful day of sailing. We thought it would be like a Beyonce music video, with us laying out on the sailboat getting our tan on ... NOT! If any of you have seen the show, The Deadliest Catch, it was just like that ...well, kind of! The first 2 hours was nice and peaceful and we just sailed around the bay taking pictures of the seals and dolphins. (sigh) I must admit though ... it was freakin' cold! No swimsuits for us! We were all about the ski jackets! For lunch, we stopped at Angel Island for a picnic and then headed back out on the water. This time, the wind had picked up, the water was splashing over the boat and we lost a sail! Not an ideal situation. The guys were helping the skipper, while us gals huddled together for warmth and safety...Ashley was certain we were going to die!
After a day on the water and praying like hell that we would live to see our kids again, we decided to stop in Sausalito to eat at Spinnaker Restaurant, which smelled like a bunch of old people ... like a nursing home ... not so sure I will go there again! But, we did run into some old Ags ... really old ags ...haha...but they were so nice. We all had so much to chat about ...they felt like family ... our Aggie Family!
You might be wondering where Cooper and Riley are ... well, we have some great friends who watched them all day! Thanks Katie, Ashley and Amanda!! We owe y'all big time!

The gals posing before we take off! (L to R: Lauren, me, Ashley aka "my neighba")

The guys getting the boat ready to start sailing!

Beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Pablo and I posing on the boat before the wind and water went crazy!

The gang huddled together for warmth!

Beautiful spot where we stopped for a picnic!

The gang posing at Angel Island!
(L to R: Chris, Ash, Lauren, Jason, me , Pablo)

THE MINNOW SWIM CLASS IS OVER

2009-07-30T18:31:00.000-05:00

Can you believe 2 wks have passed! Swim class has ended! Cooper loves the water, hates being cold, hates learning and loves playing! His report card is below. As you can see I had to un-crinkle it ... Cooper didn't care about a stupid piece of paper ... he wanted a medal!

Everything is pretty accurate, but the blow bubbles, making swimming motion with arms, and kicking motion are a far stretch. He would drink the water and spit... not blow bubbles. He would splash in the water instead of paddle his arms. I would tickle his feet to get him to move his legs. I don't think he even knows he has arms and legs! LOL!

PAUL PASSED HIS CHECK RIDE

2009-07-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, Paul has entered a different phase of his pilot career ... Aircraft Commander. He is currently going through the process of AC Upgrade and after practicing in the simulator for 2 wks, he had his check ride today (kind of like a final) and he passed with flying colors! CONGRATS PABLO! You make us proud honey!

A DAY AT THE LAKE

2009-07-25T22:30:00.001-05:00

What a fun weekend! We decided to head out to Lake Berryessa (30min drive) to hang out with the gang! Mike and Ash and Bobby and Julia each have boats so we were able to get everyone out there for a great day on the lake. We parked the boat on a little island in the middle of the water and the guys took off to go skiing while the girls lounged around and gabbed. Cooper held his own. He didn't want grown-ups around him ... he just wanted Cosmo (Mike and Ash's dog) ... see pics below.

Chillin' on the boat!

Me, Katie, Julia and Ashley gabbin'!

Paul and Mike showin' off! How manly! Studs for sure! LOL!

...and Cooper and Cosmo. Cos looks like he is about to eat Cooper if he doesn't give him that dang stick. Cooper would thrown it in the lake and Cos would go fetch it and bring it back to him ... they did this for hours!

Lunch ... Well, Cooper was the double-dipper of the group. He devoured the hot sauce...not so much the chips though! He would dip the same chip in and scoop out the hot sauce and lick it off ... only to dip in the same chip again and again! EWWW! Good thing our friends adore him.

Just gettin' a tan! He was so great at the lake! What a Coppertone Kid!

FIRST DAY OF SWIM CLASS: THE MINNOWS

2009-07-20T22:15:00.003-05:00

The whole gang met up for day 1 of swim lessons. Our group is the smallest of all the kiddos ... The Minnows!

Can you tell Cooper is thrilled about swim lessons!

I am determined to get him to float!

Daddy is the fun one b/c he doesn't care about blowing bubbles or floating ... he just throws me in the air!

Lauren is determined to get Riley to blow some stinkin' bubbles, but Riley is having no interest in Motorboat, Motorboat.

Who is playing Motorboat, Motorboat? John takes his games seriously!

THE DOG GETS MORE LOVE THAN WE DO!...Thanks Ms. Carson

2009-07-19T18:52:00.004-05:00

Spot goes everywhere I go.

Oh my God, I dropped Spot! The drama begins...

Spot, are you okay? I sowwee

Oh my God, Spot is hurt! I will give him hugs and kisses! So dramatic!

DADDY DAYCARE

2009-07-18T22:49:00.007-05:00

Today was a fun-filled day at Daddy Daycare! Amanda, Lauren and myself decided to have a girls afternoon/evening. We went to see the movie, The Proposal, which was a must-see. I will now have to go buy it when it comes out on DVD b/c it was hilarious. After that, we went shopping and then headed over to Julia M.'s baby shower. We stayed out from 3:30 'til 10:30! It was great just spending time with the gals! Meanwhile, Paul and John opened up our house for Daddy Daycare and they watched all the kiddos.
The gals! (L to R: Me, Julia B.(hubby is KC-10 9th ARS), Lauren P.(Aggie Gator Girl w/me and hubby is C-17 Maint.Ofcr) and Amanda (OSC Exec board w/me and hubby is KC-10 6th ARS w/Paul)
While Madde was napping, they decided to fill up the pool in the backyard and let the kiddos play. Sarge is right in the mix ... you know he doesn't miss out on a good time!

You may notice that Cooper's hemangioma on his belly is getting better. The doctors are saying that it should go away within the next 3-5 years! But, for now, it has flattened out and the coloring is starting to look more flesh-colored! I am just thankful that it is not near his organs, b/c that would have been a real problem!

And the lovebirds are fighting again ... or is it flirting? I don't know. "Ugh, get off me, Poopie!"

But then the first sign of Cooper leaving drives her mad. "No, don't leave, Poopie."

"GIRLS! I don't understand! What does she want from me?"

"My man left me. (tear, tear)"

HAWAII: DAY 1 ALOHA

2009-07-18T12:54:00.005-05:00

We landed in Kona, HI on July 7th, Paul's b-day. What a great birthday ... HAWAII! The best part was listening to the Beach Boys on the radio as we drove around in our rent-a-Jeep. HaHa! My dad would be so proud!

We stayed at the amazing Fairmont Orchid! God bless their 70% off for military!

We were starving after the long flight, so we decided to catch a bite to eat at the hotel. Well, note to self, don't eat at the hotel...it is expensive. 1 burger, chips/guac, and 2 drinks = $80. I know ... insane! I am too cheap to keep doing that 3x a day, so I had Paul go to Walmart in town and get food for the week. I can totally do tuna sandwiches and turkey clubs for lunch!

Paul could not wait to take a dip!

This was one view of our balcony-Oceanview room...

...and this was the other view. ahhhhhh

The lighting of the torches each night!

HAWAIIl: DAY 2 JENN'S PICK

2009-07-18T11:56:00.005-05:00

Today was my day to plan and of course I chose a day of pampering!

Paul was immediately growling at me for packing such a big bag of what he likes call "crap." He couldn't understand how I thought we needed so much when we were going to be relaxing all day. Well, hello, I need my tanning lotion, brush, make-up, water bottles, Tylenol (for headaches), Rolaids (acid-reflux that I have had since I was prego), snacks, the big ol' camera, the cell phones, and a change of clothes. Not too much, just necessities.

We started the day by sitting in the sauna. Then we went outside and sipped iced tea and waited for our massagists.

I was becoming one with nature. LOL! Since day 1, Paul had been making fun of my connection with all the animals and creatures haha. I was loving this lizard and I had been feeding and talking to the squirrels, birds and frogs. I am Dr. Doolittle here. LOL!

When our massagists came to get us, we went over to a private cabana that overlooked the ocean. We got hour massages each and we just laid there and relaxed to the sound of the ocean. It was amazing. We didn't want to get up!

Just taking it all in!

This is just a pic of the sea turtles that were swimming around in front of us.

After the massages, we had a private cabana on a cove that overlooked the beach, for the entire day. They provided a cooler with some snacks and drinks which was great b/c it was pretty hot. We did hop in the water for a bit and went snorkeling and then we went over to the beach cafe for a steak and fish dinner. It was delicious! Perfect ending to a perfect day! Little did I know, I would wake up the next day burnt to a crisp!

HAWAII: DAY 3 PAUL'S PICK

2009-07-18T11:35:00.004-05:00

Since it was Paul's day to choose what he wanted to do, you won't be surprised when I tell you we went fishing ... for 4 hours!

This is us leaving the Honokohau Marina at 7am. It was a beautiful morning and who can deny that all of Hawaii is breath-taking, so I really thought that the fishing experience might be kind of fun. I was being optomistic for Paul's sake. LOL!

So, they began by putting us in the hot seat (I don't know what it is really called, but that is my fishing terminology) and instructing us on how to reel in the fish.

Yes, I have a jacket on ... I didn't not want to burn my burn!
Overall, it was a relaxing morning. Unfortunately, Paul was pretty bummed b/c the fish weren't hungry. Not even a nibble today. Oh well, he loved just being out on the boat. I, on the other hand, did not do well with the motion of the ocean. After 30min I got sick. Paul came to the rescue with Dramamine, but if he wanted me to stay awake and enjoy fishing w/him, Dramamine was not the drug of choice. I had no idea it puts you into a coma. Literally, I fell asleep sitting up for 3 hrs. HaHa! I felt well-rested to say the least!
After a long day on the boat and a lot of sleeping, we headed over to Tommy Bahamas for some drinks & appetizers. Luckily, we were stuck on Cali time, so when we were hungry at 4pm, it worked in our favor b/c it was Happy Hour!

Cheers!

Chug-a-lug!

He just has a drinking problem! LOL! (jk honey)

HAWAII: DAY 4 THE BIG HIKE

2009-07-17T00:40:00.019-05:00

I had heard from the locals that the Pololu Valley Lookout was amazingly beautiful and so Paul and I drove almost 2 hours in our rent-a-Jeep to go see the scenic cliffs. If you notice, the sign also says Kohala Forest Reserve...no one mentioned to me that you can hike down the mountains to the black sand beaches. If they would have, oh lord, I would not have taken Paul, b/c I just knew he was going to drag my a-- down the mountain and right back up...and so he did!
This is why we should not be hiking on vacation!

These are the mountains that we were going down to get to the black sand beaches.

This is my girly Rocky pose! HaHa! I can't believe I hiked down this thing... now I have to go back up ... S*&%!

Pablo posing on the black sand beach. He wasn't really up for the Sports Illustrated look! LOL!

Can you tell we were missing Coop? (I know, I know, we will eat those words when we get back) I wanted to write Ol' Sarge in the sand too, but Paul wasn't havin' it!

Day 4 and we still look happy...haven't killed each other yet!

Paul...just being a kid! I told him that the rope swing was going to hurt his hands, but you know Paul, he has to figure that out on his own.

Okay, so the hike was fun, but I would not do it again. LOL! By the time we hiked back up it, I was drenched in sweat ... mmmm! After we cooled down, we drove through some of the small towns that Hawaii has and we stopped in Hawi to eat at a great restaurant called Bamboo.
As you can see, Paul's golden tan is beautiful. I tried the bronzer that Paul got me before I got burned. He said it had SPF in it...he failed to mention that it was SPF 4. Lord! Damn, my burn hurts! I actually had a jacket on before this picture so that my shoulders and chest would not see the light of day, but I had to take it off for all pics so that I did not look ridiculous w/a jacket on in Hawaii!
This sunset dinner cruise was actually a lot of fun. I think that besides the beautiful views, the people on the cruise made it great. We met a couple on their honeymoon and we chatted it up the whole time. There was another couple that was celebrating their 15th anniversary and seeing as how they were drunk before they got on the cruise, they definately made the evening fun. At one point, the boat was playing, "It takes two to make a thing go riiiight" and let me tell you sumpin' ... they can get down like nobody's business. She even started mooning everyone. What a hoot! Somehow, my stomach barely tolerated the motion of the ocean, but I was in no shape to get up and start shakin' my rump shaker. LOL.

Amazingly beautiful!...and we have about 20 pics of the same thing to prove it ... haha ... Paul loves taking multiple pictures of the same thing and I can't figure out why ... I love him anyway! No worries, I will now bore you with 20 pics of the sunset.

HAWAII: DAY 5 SHOPPING & LUAU

2009-07-17T00:03:00.009-05:00

Today, we spent the day shopping and resting! We stopped to eat at a local restaurant, Bongo Ben's, and had lunch as we gazed out into the ocean.

After our afternoon nap, we joined the Luau festivities.

It was a beautiful night!

Eattin' fire...not my thing!

Let the drinking begin!

Aren't we soooo Hawaiian! HA!

Do you see a frog in this picture? Well, if you do, you are drunk! Paul was trying to take a picture of a frog that was hopping around the grass... he kept saying he got it, but turns out it was a leaf! He had one to many drinks!

HAWAII: DAY 6 MAHALO

2009-07-16T22:26:00.007-05:00

Well, we started the day by venturing out to the other side of the Big Island to see the beautiful waterfalls. I was so excited to go see them, but it was bittersweet because it was our last day in Hawaii. :( We drove about an hour and a half (almost to Hilo) to the Akaka Falls...yep, pronounced like "a ca ca" haha! Are we the only ones that find that funny?!
I have no clue what this tree is, but it sure does look cool!

After all that fun, Paul really wanted to go see some volcanic action! Look at all that sulfur coming out...you bet it was making me nauseated so I took a Dramamine and that was the last volcano I saw. I was sightseeing in my dreams! HAHA!

Our sad drive back to the airport, although we do miss our lil' Cooper and can't wait to see him. Mahalo Hawaii!

WELCOME HOME MOMMY AND DADDY

2009-07-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

When Paul and I returned from our Hawaii trip, we were fighting over who was going to walk in to see Cooper first. We could hardly stand it! We could not wait to see him! We even taped it...I know, we are nerds! LOL! My only question is what is he wearing? Da da dink dink dink dink dink dink dink ... he looks like he stepped out of a trailor with his camo pants, pj top and camo high tops ... not to mention the fact that it is 110 degrees outside ... LOL!

WE LOVE GOING TO THE FARMER'S MARKET

2009-07-05T22:43:00.005-05:00

Today we went to the Farmer's Market here in town...where else can you get peaches, apples, pears, ears of corn. cantelope, plums, broccoli and much more for only $7.32. WOOHOO! It smelled so wonderful and the weather was great! This was a perfect day to plop Cooper in the wheelbarrow and start pickin' out our fruits and veggies for the week! Coop loved the ride and guarded the food!

JULY 4TH PARTAAAAAY!

2009-07-05T15:31:00.008-05:00

Well, the whole gang went over to Amanda and John's house to celebrate the 4th of July. We had lots of great food and had a blast just hanging out and sharing laughs with great friends.

Full house!
Ben, Erin and baby boy Rick (Erin is due in October)

Nick and Laura Philbrick (Laura is one of the gals that works for FramesDirect also)

Lauren and Riley Purcell (Jason had to leave the pary early b/c their dogs got our of their back yard, so he went to get them, but he returned later in the night..it just ain't a pary with Purshmelly)

Kyle and Finn Williams

Cooper and Daddy - Coop is refusing to even try the watermelon....hmm wonder where he gets that stubborness from?

Kyle and Izzy Williams (Yep, they have 2 little ones - twins - 9mos old)

Jen and Finn Williams (Doesn't she look great after having twins?)

Angela and Savannah Hunter (Jasen is deployed right now, but HAPPY 4TH JAS!)

Oh lord, let the love quarls begin! Oh and yes Riley does have clothes! She was in a super cute 4th of July dress earlier, but she decided she wanted to take a dip in the baby pool and then from there on out, she was sportin' the bikini...showing off her baby body for Coop! LOL!

Gotta have ice cream on the 4th!
Coop also got a fake red, white and blue star tattoo! What a little rockstar!

Go Finn go! Finn is workin' on his crawling technique, but got a little side tracked by the bright yellow ball!

Awwww...Maddie-moo loves her Dr. Seuss! She sat there cuddling with him for at least half an hour. Why can't Coop sit still like that? Even when he was only a few months old he was flopping around like a fish!

Riley sees Coop! Priceless smile!

Well, that didn't last long. She loved him until he sat in her chair! He was saying "No No" and waving his finger at her. All the while, she is trying to drag him out of her chair.

Riley says, "Oh no you didn't!"

Coop was showing everyone how he can do pull-ups! He is so strong! Riley was up next...

Amanda thought, "If these 18mos olds can do this, I should be able to, right?" John was in deep concentration. He was focused. This was serious business. LOL!

COOP'S FAVORITE...OREOS AND MILK!!

2009-07-05T15:23:00.002-05:00

Yeesssssssssss! I get Oreos! My favorite! I like to go on hunger strikes until I get my Oreos!

Gotta get it all! Shovel it in Coop!

Finger-lickin' good!

Suuuuup?! Giggle giggle!

COOPER GETS HIS FIRST HAIRCUT!

2009-07-03T18:26:00.002-05:00

Today, we took Cooper to the Travis AFB Salon to get his 1st real haircut. He behaved very well and was in shock. He had no idea what was going on. One thing is for sure, he was checkin' out the lady cutting his hair. I kept calling his name to look at me so that I could take a picture, but he only had eyes for the hairdresser! LOL!

The whole fam with our new haircuts!

Woohoo! Look at his new clean-cut look! Riley is really gonna have the hots for him now!

COOPER'S 4TH OF JULY PARADE

2009-07-02T18:27:00.004-05:00

A crowd of parents and kids lined the streets today to cheer on the kiddos 1st Fourth of July Parade. They played a mix of "This land is your land. This land is my land..." and the Jackson Five's "ABC, 123." HAHA! The kids had a great time and they looked absolutely adorable. Cooper was a star!

You know we had to have his outfit match his hat!!

The instructors were smart to put Coop in a wagon b/c even though he can march, he prefers running! LOL!

What a great turn out!

Mommy and Coop celebrating the 4th of July!

COOPER'S 4TH OF JULY PARADE

2009-07-02T18:06:00.004-05:00

SUMMER FUN!

2009-06-27T11:39:00.001-05:00

Summer Lovin'! I told you...Riley is his girlfriend!

KIDS & VITAMINS DON'T MIX!

2009-06-20T21:04:00.005-05:00

Paul and I were so excited because we thought, "OMG Coopie ate his vitamin and no fussin'! Hallelujah!"

...And for the record, we did give him a plate, but he decided to dump the food onto his tray.

Paul and I had a revelation ... Coop is not good at taking his vitamins ... he is good at hiding them. Can you find the orange gummy vitamin in this picture? LOL!

BREAK IT DOWN COOPER!!!!

2009-06-20T17:08:00.004-05:00

"Do the Ice Cream Freeze; strike a pose. When you do the Milkshake, shake shake it down low. Do the Snowcone Slide; left to right. Put your hands in the air; we can party all night!"

JUST PLAYIN' AROUND

2009-06-20T17:02:00.002-05:00

Sweet Coopy-poo!
Gia and Popeye, in case you are wondering what the heck he is sitting on...that is the learning table that you bought him for Christmas....he is learning a lot huh! He pushes it all around the kitchen and lifts it in the air, drops it down and flips it over. Sheeeeesh! It really wears me out just watchin'.

Ride 'em Cowboy!

Barrel rolls!

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

FATHER'S DAY BBQ AT DAYCARE

2009-06-19T16:57:00.002-05:00

Paul and I went to eat lunch with Coop to celebrate Father's Day with some BBQ. Keep in mind that most of the food was mooshed up for babies and kiddos, but nonetheless, we loved our lunch date! Coop on the other hand, screamed and cried the entire time b/c he was soooooo tired. He didn't want the food on his plate...he wanted the food on ours. HMMMMM....I wonder who he gets that from? If you ask Nana, she will tell you that when she saw me eat the food off of Daddy's plate for the 1st time, instead of my own, that that was the point at which she new that I was "the one" for daddy.

PAUL HIKES HALF DOME

2009-06-14T10:44:00.004-05:00

Paul was brave enough to take on Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. The hikes was 14 miles and at least half of it was an uphill hike. EWWWWW! Count me out! I would not have been able to walk for a week if I had gone. Anyhow, Paul went with our good friends from TAFB, Ashley DiPrisco and Joe Caruso. As you can see, the spouses are missing...Katie and I knew that we would not be able to hang with these guys, so we opted out, but Mike (Ashley's hubby) was going to go but his AF trip that he was on got delayed and he could not get back in time. Next time Mike...next time. Ooooor maybe not. After the hike, Paul said that the hieghts, the rain and the hail ... that was plenty. Just to give you an idea of how dangerous it was, 2 hours after Paul got off the mountain a man actually died. He slipped off the mountain and fell at least 100 feet, but reports say it could have been as much as 400 feet.

Joe and Paul just strolling along!

Joe, Ash and Paul posing!

Absolutely beautiful!

Breath-taking!

Paul brought along a picture of Coop and I on a stick! So technically, we hiked it too, minus the blood sweat and tears!! LOL!
(Those ants in the background are the other people climbing up. I'm skerd!)

awwww THE GANG! Those outdoorsy fools! I am so opposite...I don't even like dirt!

HIKING PENA ADOBE

2009-06-14T10:11:00.001-05:00

While Paul was hiking Half Dome, Cooper and I decided to meet up with Lauren and Riley (Coop's girlfriend) and go for a hike at Pena Adobe. Our hike was much harder than little ol' Half Dome...haha...NOT! I have to say that it was an absolutley beautiful day and I was hoping to get some sun, but nope...I am still white! Coop definately has Paul's skintone, b/c he is golden. I am so jealous. Girls should be the one to have skin like that ... we need it ... it covers cellulite! LOL!

Awwww. THE LOVEBIRDS.

I LOVE NEW TOYS!

2009-06-13T15:23:00.003-05:00

Weeeeeeee! Coop loves the new toy that Nana gave him. She was trying to help us solve the problem of him climbing on the tables and pretty much everything in the house. Works like a charm!

This is the funnest toy eveeeeeer!

No one else is allowed in my house! Hence, MY house!...not even you Sarge!

Oh, is daddy still sleeping? Well, let me scream, "DaDa," as loud as I possible can, from the top of my house. I know he can hear me, so I will keep doing it no matter how many times mommy says, "shhhhhh, daddy is trying to sleep." If I ain't sleepin'...no one is!

Coop Dancin' Solo

2009-06-07T16:28:00.003-05:00

Coop and Riley - DANCIN' MACHINE

2009-06-07T15:53:00.001-05:00

PAUL PINNED ON CAPTAIN TODAY!

2009-06-01T15:14:00.002-05:00

Paul and I at his ceremony where he was being sworn in as Captain!

All the 5 guys in Paul's squadron that were pinning on Captain's rank today. (L to R: Lt.ColJackson, (somebody else LOL), Greg Rohmiller, Rich Martin, Paul Cameron, Nick Philbrick)

Lt. Col. Joel Jackson pinning on Paul's Captain's rank.

The swearing in of the new ranks.

MY 2 STUDS!

2009-05-31T15:11:00.000-05:00

So, I guess it is pretty obvious now that Coop has Paul's skintone. They both can walk outside and come back in looking golden. I can bake outside for a month and still look as white as the walls.

CHILLIN' AT THE POOL!

2009-05-31T14:41:00.002-05:00

Paul & Coop with Jason & Riley
Everyone is enjoying the pool and the beautiful weather. Riley and Coop just adore each other. She calls him "Poopy"... LOL

Paul was being so patient with Coop. He was doing a great job trying to teach him how to swim. They are both fish...they love the water! I was the priss-pot that wouldn't get in b/c it was way to friggin' cold!

Gotta love those big blue ear plugs! I finally figured out why he would not listen to us at the pool! LOL!

Daddy and Coop are check out the ladies at the pool!

Mommy and Coop - tanning!

Mommy's white skin is blinding!

What a long day! Swimming wore us out!

The lovebirds 1st fight!

2009-05-26T20:08:00.000-05:00

Cooper says. "Let me tell you sumpin' girl...my toys are my toys! Don't mess with my ball popper that my Nana gave me." LOL

HAPPY B-DAY

2009-05-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

Well, today is my b-day and we have the whole gang coming over for fajitas. Coop is sound asleep, but Paul and I will continue to sleep with him at night until we are positive that the seizures are over and the fever is down! Pics to come...stay tuned!

Poor Coop

2009-05-20T19:59:00.000-05:00

Well, today was the scariest day of my life! Coop had started running a fever of 102 yesterday and he had 3 small seizures...I could not get it to go down lower than 101. Well, today he was taking a nap and within an hour, I decided to go in and get him out of his crib and have him take a nap with me...which I never do, but thank GOD I did! He slept for 2 1/2 hours with Sarge and I and then I laid him down next to me as I rolled of the bed quietly to fold laundry next to him. All of the sudden, Coop started having a seizure. I somehow found the phone, which I don't even remember getting and I called 9-1-1. The operator walked me through what to do while we waited for the ambulance. Apparently it was a b/c his fever had reached 105. We would have loved ot pick daddy up from the airport today, as he was flying home from deployment, but Jason Purcell (college roommate) went and got him since we were at the hospital. Paul got home and we were with each other for about 30min before he had to drive to Sac to pick up my parents who were coming to visit from TX. It was great timing for us since Coop was sick and we could use all the help, but it sucked for my parents I am sure.

I'M A CELEBRITY...GET ME OUTTA HERE!

2009-05-20T19:48:00.001-05:00

TEAR IT UP!

2009-05-17T19:50:00.000-05:00

I am a master at making a mess! I can't decide what to play with, so I will drag out everything and then decide.
I know I am not suppose to...but who cares...what is the worst that will happen? ... timeout?... ewww I am scared ... NOT!

STILL IN TROUBLE

2009-05-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

"This is so stupid"

Mom? How much longer? I ain't learning anything!

Growin' up fast!

2009-05-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Things that make Coop happiest!

2009-05-16T19:42:00.000-05:00

I LOVE my doggy!...and he loves me!

Coop doesn't really care about painting, but enjoys making a mess...including painting his head and then eating the paint as well!

Fun times!

2009-05-11T23:37:00.001-05:00

Mommy and Snaggle tooth playin' around!

Coop loves story time in the rocking chair. What is wrong with this pic? Popeye got the boot! But, I have to say, my dad is the only one Coop actualy sits and listens to.

Chillin' in Sugar Land - Waiting for Coop's Surgery

2009-05-10T23:25:00.003-05:00

Coop is definitely not the artsy fartsy type! He gave up on the art and decided the crayons were better suited for lunch! LOL!

Coop definitely loved Mrs. Siler's water fountain. Coop is obsessed with water fountains...you should see what a sopping wet mess he is when he gets home from daycare!

Kissy kissy smoochy smoochy!

You can definitely tell that Coop is still sick and waiting for his tubes to be put in his ears, b/c he still has that bottle! Oh the infamous bottle! Uncle Bill just adores Coop and vice verse!

Easter in Sugar Land

2009-05-10T23:19:00.002-05:00

The Easter bunny brought Coop an awesome Easter basket, filled with golf clubs, a soccer ball, bath tub squirt fish, funny glasses and much much more. Mommy and Coop had lots of fun goofing around with all of the fun toys at Gia and Popeye's house! Of course, Coop already had one set of golf clubs at Gia and Popeye's house, but the Easter bunny gave him another set so that he could take them back to Cali. Now, he has 1 set in Sugar Land and 1 set in Cali! Yeah, now mama and dada can enjoy Coop swinging the clubs around and clearing off the countertops. Oh joy

Last night in Sugar Land

2009-05-01T23:03:00.006-05:00

MR. COOL!

Don't mess with Popeye's Whataburger! Coop has Popeye wrapped around his finger...he actually let him have his fries...that is unheard of in our house!

Sayin' goodbye to Wobbie :( We LOVE our Wobbie!

Old gal pals catchin' up on good times and how great our babies are!

2009-04-30T22:46:00.003-05:00

I finally got to catch up with Nic, Avery and Ryan ...it has been way too long. It is very hard for us to even get to chat on the phone due to the time difference b/t Cali and Ohio. I wish that we could see each other and talk more often! I miss Nic! In case you didn't notice, how friggin' cute is Avoey?! I love Coop with all my heart, but I still want a girl!

Another Round of Deployment

2009-04-20T22:14:00.002-05:00

Well, March rolled around, which means time for Paul to leave again for deployment...#3...I think the week before is the hardest. I just dread him leaving and I cry every night b/c it is one more day closer to him leaving. Well, this time around I was going to slug it out by myself...yikes-a-roo...2 1/2 mos of me, Coop and Sarge...24/7! Lord help me! Well, I left at the end of March for NYC's Vision Expo...but first I had to get on a plane with Coop and go to Phoenix, where our flight was delayed a few hours...growl! We then flew on to Houston, where I dropped off Coop with Gia and Popeye...they could hardly wait to snatch him up! I then went to NYC and came back to pick up Coop so we could head back to Cali, but Coop had a different plan. We only intended to stay a week or so, but Cooper's ear infection got much worse and the doc said he wouldn't be able to fly without getting tubes in his ears first. It took another week and half to get all the paperwork straight with our insurance company so that we could have the surgery in TX and then just before Easter weekend Cooper was able to have the surgery. He recovered well and so we planned to fly home 4 days later, but then our black cloud that follows us when we travel, reappeared. Our flight was cancelled on Friday, again on Saturday and yet again on Monday. Sheesh! So, on Sunday afternoon, Mum and apaP came to get Coop and take him to the zoo for the first time. Mum says that Coop was more entertained by the people than the animals. By Tuesday we were on a plane and headed back home. Now we just had to tough it out another month or so before Paul came back from deployment

OSC Partaaayyy!

2009-03-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

I had a great lunch party with the ladies of the OSC (Officer Spouse Club). We dug into some King Cake...it tasted good...but the only reason we dove in was to see who would win the dorr prize! Who doesn't like free stuff!?! Below is a picture of me and Ang, the other Historian. There are hardly ever pics of us b/c we are usually the ones taking the pics.

Coop is sick! Poor baby!

2009-02-20T21:46:00.002-06:00

Cooper came down with some serious sickness! UGH! Story of our friggin' lives! This time I decided to catch it too, so Coop and I had EVERYTHING...literally...too many problems to even begin to describe. The ONLY thing that I like, and I am not saying that I like it when Coop is sick...and no, I don't have Muchausen Syndrome, but the only thing that I like about Coop being sick is that he loves to cuddle. These days he runs everywhere, nonstop, but when he is sick he is curled in a ball in my lap...OR...around Sarge. Apparently, Sarge is the one thing that makes him feel better! Notice that Sarge will let Coop lay all over him, but he ain't sharing that electric blanket. Coop better not even try, b/c it turns into an all out war!

SQUAW VALLEY - Day #1

2009-02-10T21:36:00.002-06:00

In Feb, Paul and I went to Tahoe with a big group of friends. It was a blast and a much needed vacation…...and where was Coop during all this...with Paul's mom back at our house in Cali. We had so much fun with Ashley and Mike, Laura and Nick and Josh and Jenny. We had not seen Josh and Jenny since UPT in Del Rio and this was probably the last time we were going to get to see them for a few years since they were headed to Japan!...so jealous! One thing that no one was jealous of was my skiing skills! LOL! I skied one day and that was it...I fell and twisted both knees. UGH! I know they tell you to fall to the side, but I was more worried about the fact that I could not stop at all and survival mode kicked in and I had to save myself...on the bunny slope! LOL! Paul was a trooper. He skied the bunny slope with me the first day and then he ditched me for the real slopes.

SQUAW VALLEY - Day #2

2009-02-10T21:31:00.001-06:00

Later in the afternoon on Day #2, we went tubing, which was fun, but Squaw Valley doesn't have much of a tubing slope...more like a slide.

SQUAW VALLEY - Day #3

2009-02-10T21:09:00.007-06:00

On Day # 3 we went snowmobiling, which was the scariest adventure ever! Paul and I were cheap and decided to get one snowmobile and share it...bad idea! Although if we had gotten separate ones, Paul would have taken off and left me behind going 20mph. Anyhew, we jumped on the same snowmobile and Paul forgot I was riding on the back and sped off going 100mph...s%#^^#$! I had to keep hitting him with my helmet to signal him to slow the hell down! I saw my life flash before my eyes in those 2 hrs...yeah that's right, 2hrs! I have to admit, the scenery was breath-taking! The snow all over Tahoe was amazing! Cuddley weather!

Cooper's First Day at School

2009-02-09T22:40:00.004-06:00

Hide and Go Seek

2009-02-09T22:38:00.002-06:00

Splish Splash I was Takin' a Bath

2009-02-09T22:35:00.003-06:00

Cooper Chasing Sarge with his Sword

2009-02-09T22:08:00.005-06:00

Cooper at Christmas

2009-02-09T22:06:00.004-06:00

Cooper's 1st Birthday

2009-02-09T22:02:00.004-06:00

Cooper loves to drive his car down the driveway!

2008-11-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

Cooper drives like Mommy - hittin' everything in sight!

2008-11-01T20:35:00.003-05:00

Cooper is hawlin' a--

2008-11-01T20:30:00.002-05:00

Well, Cooper has been little pistol this past week...well, more like this past month, because he has been very ill. First, tonsilitis and an ear infection and now, RSV. Cooper has hardly eaten anything in the past week, and after 2 trips to the ER and 1 IV, we are back home and finally finally finally he is starting to eat a little. The only thing he will eat is bananas and the only thing he will drink is iced tea...go figure...

Cooper definately sounds better...no more wheezing...but he still has the crud in his chest, so for now he is being spoiled rotten...and he knows it! LOL!

Paul comes home soon and we can hardly wait!

Enjoy the pics below!

Ticked off Tigger

2008-11-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

Cooper and Aunt Brookie

2008-11-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

Cooper, Mum and apaP

2008-11-01T19:59:00.003-05:00

hmmmm

2008-10-30T22:57:00.002-05:00

Yummy Lemons

2008-10-30T22:12:00.002-05:00

Cooper fell asleep playin'

2008-10-30T22:11:00.000-05:00

Jumpin' Jumpin'

2008-10-30T22:03:00.003-05:00

Sarge is so patient!

2008-10-30T21:59:00.000-05:00

Cooper loves playing with Sarge every morning - They are such good buddies

2008-10-30T21:58:00.000-05:00

Cooper loves Uncle Bill

2008-10-30T21:56:00.002-05:00

Cooper and DeDe

2008-10-30T21:56:00.001-05:00

Cooper and GiGi

2008-10-30T21:54:00.000-05:00

Still JUMPIN'

2008-10-22T21:55:00.003-05:00

Is that Daddy callin'?

2008-10-22T21:46:00.004-05:00

Cooper knows when that phone rings...he is use to it being daddy on the other end! Look how excited he gets. TOO CUTE!

2008-10-22T21:35:00.002-05:00

Cooper has no place to hide

2008-10-22T21:11:00.002-05:00

Cooper and his fishing pole!

2008-10-22T21:08:00.002-05:00

Most kiddos have a blanket, binkie, doll, or teddy bear that they drag around everywhere...not Cooper...he drags around that fishing pole everywhere.