Sweet Home Alabama

Ahhh, finally a post. Sorry for the blogging hiadus. My family and I have been sick and then a trip to Alabama and well, life. So, here is an update on our fantastic, fabulously fun trip to "Sweet Home Alabama".
Phillip and I decided to drive down to the deep South to Alabama where my sweet sister, Liberty and her family live for Spring Break. We went there last year and had an absolute blast and decided we wanted a repeat performance...and boy did we get one. We left early on Thursday the 13th of March...there were some bumps in the road...called health. Phillip (who NEVER gets sick) was throwing up and had a fever, was a trooper and drove and little Grey had a fever and had just gotten over the ickies...then Ella started with a fever. So we were the Sick Patrol coming to spread our germs all over Alabama. Nice. Don't worry, I had made sure with my sister that it was alright that we came-health issues and all. In fact, while we were there we picked up a lovely case of the pink eye--sickness just comes with family. We finally made it 14 hours later and we were so grateful to be there.

We started the next day with a celebration. My 28th birthday!! I got some really fun things and money to spend!! Yay!! I love SHOPPING!! We really took the day easy and let the kids play in Lib fantastic backyard. Kit then treated us all to an out-of-this-world cheesecake that he made from scratch. It really was incredible. Thanks, Kit!

We took the weekend easy went to the park and attended their Stake Conference. It was wonderful attending an actual church house as we have been out of ours for three years. It makes you grateful for pews.

Mommy and Ella at the Park

Grey and Ella...hmmm, could they be siblings??

Coop and Grey having fun at the park...gotta love that warm southern weather!

Little Gunner at the park. Isn't he beautiful?!!

We started our week at the beach at Daupin Island. It is so beautiful there. The beach is so white and the water is gorgeous. It was a little chilly...not too chilly for the kids to swim. You couldn't have caught me in that water...brrr! We enjoyed a picnic on the sand. The only problem that we did encounter was that Ella had a hard time breathing. It was very windy and the the wind swept her breath away. We put her in the stroller to cut down the wind. The boys had a total blast.

Josiah, Cooper and Greyson enjoying lunch on the beach.

Cooper feeding the seagulls. The birds would hover above him and catch the food he would throw them in the air.

The next day we took the family to a favorite-Blu Rabbit's Paridise. It is a pizza/playland. The boys have a great time...there was the occasion we had to pull them off the walls. They were literally climbing the walls. Funny.

Greyson enjoying lunch at Blu Rabbit's Paridise!!

Greyson and Cooper outside of Blu Rabbit.

We took a day trip over to Peniscola, Florida. It was so much fun. We went to McGuire's Irish Pub and Grill. They have over 1/2 amillion dollars hanging from the ceiling and stapled to the walls. We had to remind the boys that taking the money would be stealing...it was so tempting to them. You could literally reach up and grab it. The whole atmoshpere was neat. They even have bean soup dor 18 cents! The food was way yummy, too. Huge, huge burgers. Here's the family at McGuire's...Phillip's taking the picture

Here is the dollar that is currently hanging at McGuire's..."Humphrey Applegate Spring Break 2008"

We then went to the Naval Base to go to the Navy Airspase Museum. Can I say super neat...and free?!! Yay! There were planes and jets hanging from the ceiling. Models all over, if you ever have a chance to go...go!! My boys loved it.

Cooper and Greyson in the cockpit of a jet. They totally loved it.

Greyson and Cooper on a fighter guns from WWII. They had an actual flight deck off of an aircraft carrier. That was especialy neat for me to see because my Grandpa Holyoak served in the Navy and shot guns similar to these.

On Thursday we went to Tanger Outlet...yay for birthday shopping. It was great. The guys took the older boys while Lib and I shopped. It was quite relaxing and a wonderful break. Thanks, Daddies!!! On Friday, the day before we left, we decided to have a pre-Easter egg hunt. Lib and I filled plastic eggs with candy and hid them around the house. The boys had so much fun finding and eating the candy. You gotta love loot that you can eat!

Auntie Libby helping Greyson find an egg that was hid in her hurricane vase.

Cooper searching for Easter eggs. We used Wal Mart bags...classy, we know! :)

Gavin showing me his "loot"!

The boys after their hunt.

After their hunt, dinner and baths we let the boys decorate eggs for that coming Sunday's hunt. We took home 36 eggs. The two older boys were really into it and it was so fun to bring them home to MiMi to see.

Cooper showing off one of his favorite eggs.

Josiah dying eggs. Gotta love those jamies!!

After we tucked the boys into bed the adults had dinner. It was so yummy and a first for me. Kit prepared California Rolls (never had them!), spring roll and a fruit salad. It was all so wonderful. Kit really has a talent for cooking. We ate and savored the last few hours of our vacation. All in all it was so fantastic. We would do it all again...and we probably will. Thank you Applegate's for your hospitality and love. We miss you!!

Sesame Street Live...nearly

Well, we were off to "Sesame Street Live" tonight. We gave the boys tickets for Christmas and then they moved the date 'till tonight. So, it has been long wait.
We were nearly to Guthrie when Cooper started itching his face. Actually, a side note before I get too far...Cooper came home from school today w/ a bit of a fever and headache. So, I gave him some Tylanol and Motrin to kick it so he could enjoy the night.
Anyway, we were off and nearly to Guthrie when Cooper started to itch. His throat and face were itching and he was rubbing his face. Then he decided that his mouth was itching. I told Cooper, which I now really regret, that your mouth (his gums) can't itch. We pulled over in Guthrie to get Subways and I ran it to grab them. When I came out Phillip was on the phone w/ my dad getting his advice on Cooper...whose lips were now nearly 2-3 times their normal size and his eyes were swollen w/ hives. I nearly lost it. I couldn't believe my eyes. More poor little boy was so swollen. The only thing we could figure could have caused this was the Tylanol and Motrin, but we are still unsure what caused the reaction. Phillip quickly got off the phone to let me know what happened. I guess while I was in Subway Cooper quickly started to swell. Phillip and I decided that we needed to rush Cooper to te nearest ER. So, we headed a bit more down south to Edmond. We checked him into Edmond Memorial Hospital and they took him back shortly. They were all great w/ my kids. Thankfully, Phillip had packed the Leapster and LeapPad. It was very helpful for Greyson who wanted to "explore" the ER...not a great idea. Shortly after Cooper was admitted they told us that Cooper would need a IV to get Epi meds right in him. If you know Cooper....he HATES needles. He freaks. Well, I tried to prep Cooper and let him know what was going to happen and he decided to crawl the walls and freak out. Thankfully, the nurse calmed him down and he actually did quite well. It was so sad though, they had to stick him a couple of times, but he really did fantastically...considering. After all the meds they gave him , his swelling finally came down a bit, which was the direction they were looking for. The whole time we were waiting the boys were watching the clock hoping to get to "Elmo". There really was no way. So, Phillip was on the phone trying to get the tickets moved to tomorrow. Long story short, no luck. So, we will either have to purchase the tickets...again, at a higher price or wait until they come back around. Jury is still out on that one.
Anyway, when they were finally checking us out, the nurse gave me the prescriptions and was letting me know what to do. She said with Coop's reaction we probably needed to take him to an alergist to see what caused his reaction. (sound familiar, Whit?) She also told us with the severity of reaction I probably needed to carry an Epi pen. I was surprised at that. So, I guess the next step will be to get a referral to an allergist from his ped. Then we will go from there.
Cooper is doing fine now, we are extremely grateful for that. "Elmo Live" here we come....almost. Maybe next time.

Happy 8th!

Happy Eighth, Honey! Phillip and I went on our first date eight years ago today. For our date Phillip took me to El Vacerio in Stillwater and then onto a church dance in Norman. It began a whirlwind week followed by our marriage five months later. We just clicked. Our relationship began so easily and naturally and has continued so. We truly love spending time with eachother and would choose to spend most of our time together.
We were talking over dinner about our "anniversary" and thinking back, little did we know what that date would begin. We had no idea that eight years later we would have three beautiful children and have traveled the road we have taken. I wouldn't have traded the ups and downs for anything. I am excited for the next eight years and the many, many years to follow. I love you, Phillip and am forever grateful to be your wife.

My Little Reader

I just had to post this... Cooper is reading to his little brother for the first time. I was even smart enough to capture it on the camera! Yay!! I am so pround of my little guy. Cooper has become quite the little reader lately. We will be driving along and he will read signs and tell us what they say. He is doing just great. I was so excited to see him reading to Greyson that I nearly burst. I guess I have fond memories of being read to and then in turn reading to my little brothers and sisters. It was a pretty neat thing for a mom to see.

The Sound of Music

Well, we are actually owners of our very own piano. No, I am not that accomplished as a pianist and neither is Phillip, but we have high hopes for our children...who doesn't though. :) The piano fell into our laps and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to purchase it. We came by it because a family in the first ward was downsizing and decided that the piano was one of the things that had to go. Phillip, my dad, brother, and brother-in-law moved the piano, and I had the pleasure of figuring out where it belonged in my home. I invited my mother over and we got to rearranging. (I am not sure what I am going to do w/o her when I move...plane ticket, anyone?) The end result makes me smile inside. I love it. I remembered that I had some things that I had purchased at Affair of the Heart (my favorite craft show). My mother and I decorated using those things and others that I purchased at the most recent Affair of the Heart. I ended up decorating more things than the piano..."when you give a mouse a cookie", type thing. But, like I said, I love it. Here are some pictures to show you the end result.

The last few pictures are to show those who have been to my home where I moved things around to. I wanted to show my sis the picture of the plaque...I bought it at Affair of the Heart and it is hanging above the door going into the laundry room.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

I totally stole this idea off of Whit's blog. I thought it'd be fabulous to do for my Valentine's Day post. I know, I know very belated, but I think it is wonderful to have a day you express to others that you love and appreciate them in your life. I hope that you all had a great Valentine's Day and for all of those that I love and I didn't see, I am sending you my love.

What is your husbands name? Phillip
How long have you been together? We've been married for 7 and a half years
How long did you date? 5 mos.--when it's right, it's right
Who eats more? Phillip, but I can hold my own ;)
Who said I love you first? Phillip, but I followed a tiny bit later
Who is taller? Phillip. I'm 5'3 and he's 5'9
Who has more speeding tickets? Phillip, I usually get off, but I haven't gotten pulled over in a long time and really Phillip has only had a few. Funny, Phillip's a driver's ed teacher on the side and actually we really wouldn't know right know if we were going to get a speeding ticket 'cause our spedometer is on the fritz...we gotta get that fixed.
Who is more sensitive? Actually, I could say it's a toss-up. Phillip and I are both pretty sensitive about some same and some different things.
When there is a fight, who usually wins? Ohh, I guess probably me. I have a strong stance that I'm always right ;). Phillip will put his foot down on somethings, though.
Who does the laundry? Both. Sometimes I start it, sometimes Phillip does, I usually keep it going, Phillip usually folds and I usually put away.
Who does the dishes? Usually me, but Phillip is great on trying to get them cleared up in the morning before I wake up.
Who sleeps on the right? Me (if you're looking up from the foot of the bed)
Who pays the bills? Definetly Phillip, I tried at the beginning and still would help out, but Phillip has a system
Who mows the lawn? Phillip, but I've wheeled the riding lawn mower around :)
Who cooks dinner? Too many cooks in the kitchen isn't applicable in my kitchen. We love Joseppi's cooks, Texas Road House cook's... j/k. We both cook, it just depends. I can cook easy enough if Phillip can help with an idea. I hate coming up with an idea.
Who drives when you are together? Phillip, but I'm a darn good back seat driver :)
Who is more stubborn? Me. Hands down. However, like I said, when Phillip really wants something he usually gets his way.
Who kissed whom first? Phillip kissed me. You were cold right, Honey???
Who asked out who first? Phillip asked me out. Later I asked Phillip how he found out my phone# and he said that he looked "beautiful" up in the phone book. A cheesy line that I still love to think about...
Who proposed? Phillip
Who has more siblings? I do. I have 2 brothers and 2 sister and Phillip has 2 brothers and 1 sister.

Sickies

There is actually a good reason for my long absence...my family and I have all been sickies. There has been the creepin' crud going around well, pretty much everywhere. I overheard one lady at the doctor's said that a school class of 30 something was down to 15 or 18...I don't remember exactly, but it was low. I guess we're just passing whatever it is all around. Everyone in my family is antibiotics, except for Phillip. That is pretty much how it works in our family, though.
Well, the very sick weekend started on Valentine's Day. I was feeling pretty crummy and Ella had been coming down with a cough for the last couple of days. As the day progressed I kept getting worse and by the evening I was really feelling it. Phillip and I exchanged gifts for V Day and then we all ate a heart-shaped pizza and we put the boys to bed. I was getting pretty sick feeling all achy and especially the right side of my body was hurting. I also had a horrific headache, which may I add, all of this is riding on the tails of the flu and a pretty icky cold that I had a couple weeks ago and the cold has been hanging around. Mine and Ella's health went downhill from there while Phillip and I tried to watch "No Reservations" (cute, by the way). Then the movie was followed by one of the very worst night sleep and it just got worse. I spent the next day very sick in bed worried that both Ella and I had pnmonia and the flu. Phillip invited my dad over to give us a blessing to help our bodies feel better, he also offered some advice how to couple my motrin and tylanol to kick my headache (it did help that evening) then he took the boys back to my parent's home because they were pretty stir-crazy. When they got back, my dad sat down with Phillip and myself (I was looking pretty horrific, may I add) and extended a call to me. This setting would only happen when your dad is in the Stake Pres. :) I guess the Stillwater Stake was reorganizing the Stake Primary Presidency and I was asked to be the 2nd counsler. Yikes!! I couldn't even believe it. Stake callings mean you train the leaders. I still can't believe it. I accepted the call and was sustained this past Sunday at Stake Conference.
Anyway, Ella and my condition deteriated that next day, so Phillip took us to the doctors. Long story, short...Ella has an infection (her white blood cell count was up). The doctor thought that it might be the start of pnmonia and so she was perscribed the ZPack and she was given a shot of antibiotics, as well. I was diagnosed with Bronchitis and a sinis infection. I really don't think that I have been that sick before...or as long as I can remember. The infection was giving me fevers and chills, nausia and vomiting and big time headaches and body aches. My lungs also felt like I had been running really hard and were burning when I would breathe. Well, we took our medicine and then Sunday things were really looking up. We didn't venture to Stake Conference, so I found out from family who I am serving with. I will be set apart this Wed. We are still trying to recover, so far so good. It's amazing how good you feel when you've been so sick. I'll be mighty happy when the cold and flu season are over. Phillip will too, I am sure, who has been Mommy, Daddy, nurse and pretty much Superman.

"Throwed Rolls", Blue Rabbits and "Beads Please!"

So, I just returned from one of the funnest trips I have ever taken. I was able to go down to the deep-South (Mobile, AL) and visit my sweet sis, Lib, and her cutie, little boys. I went down with a crew...Greyson and Ella, my mom and my other sister, Whitney and her two chillin', Ezra and Georgia. We had so much fun, but the children were sometimes a handful. I must admit, though, it could've been much worse. We put the children through the wringer...i.e. we did some great shopping. :) Lib actually lives in a great place, she lives a little out of downtown Mobile, so you don't feel like it is big-city, and yet she has access to a lot of shopping. About an hour away is a Tanger Outlet (fabulous!). I hit the sales right-on. I bought some fantastic things for my kids, especially Cooper, for next year and this coming Summer. I am way excited. There is also a second-hand store that is a must visit...who can turn down clothes for pennies?!!
Liberty also has a great backyard. It is fenced-in with a covered patio. We bundled up the kids in jackets and their hats and they were off to the great outdoors. It was wonderful. They played all sorts of things. Some of their favorites were "Bob the Builder" (they take odd pieces of lumber and "build" with them and use play hammers, etc. and bang w/them...a young boy's heaven), they also would dig at some sand w/ sand toys and plastic spoons. They would come in with dirty knees, but very satisfied.

Josiah and Greyson having "cousin time" on the couch.

Jos holding a "squiggily" Ella. :)

Ezra and Gavin wanted to be by Ella...so cute!

Georgia loves to climb up onto the swing and give her cousin, Ella, "loves".

A high point of the trip, for me, was all the talking. It was wonderful!! We would put the kids to bed, and start just talking. We talked about current events and just caught-up with eachother. It will be some of my favorite memories. I learned that my sister is a left wing liberal (j/k!! ;) and just fun odds and ends that come from discussing. It was great.

Cutie little Georgia hanging out with the "girls".

We were able to go to Lambert's home of the "throwed" rolls. If any of you ever get a chance to go...go! It is so much fun. It is down-home cookin' and you get the opportunity to actually catch(!) your rolls...which are quite fabulous. I took a pictures of my nephew, Ezra, taking a bite of his roll which was nearly the size of his 2 yr. old head. We then headed outside and they were able to play with the wooden train that was build right outside of the restaurant for kids to play on. It was a beautiful day and perfect for exploring on a train.Gavin and Greyson playing on the train with their Lambert balloons.

(above) Jos, Grey and Lib having fun on the Lambert train.

We were also there to celebrate Whitney's birthday. Happy birthday, Whit! It was very fun to be together to celebrate and to shop for her birthday. She is such a skinny, little thing it is very fun to dress her. :)

Another one of my favorite things that we did was go to a Mardi Gras parade. Can I say...FUN?!! I have never been, and so I was excited that Mardi Gras was being celebrated while we were down there. People will actually camp-out in downtown Mobile in campers for Mardi Gras. We went to Daphne, which is a town on the other side of the Bay. We were hoping to avoid some crowds, which we did, so it was great. It wasn't too cold and so we all could have fun. If you have never been to a Mardi Gras parade (we went to a family-friendly one) you wave your hands at the people in the parade and yell "Beads!!"...or in my nephew's case "Beads, please! Beads, please!". The masked people will throw beads, stuffed animals, candy, Moon Pies and of course, BEADS!! It was so much fun. You have to be careful, though. They toss beads in your direction and they can land anywhere. So, you needed to watch out for your head. :) There were fantastic floats and great Cajun music. The people will also decorate their homes and buisnesses for Mardi Gras. It was very fun and festive. It would be an annual favorite for me if I lived down there. Phillip is jealous and wants to go down next year...you don't have to twist my arm. :)

Greyson all bundled-up for the Mardi Gras parade.

Mommy and Ella all cozy waiting for the parade to start.

All the kids lined up waiting...and waiting for the parade. It was worth the wait!

Beads, please!

I can't forget to mention one of the highlights for Greyson...Blue Rabbit Paradise. It is similar to Chucky Cheeses, but w/o all the games and grime. :) All the cousins climbed and crawled up onto a huge castle. It was a lot of fun for them. They also serve up pizza, which was interesting. Our little cook dumped the pizza on the table and served us less-than-perfect pineapple. We were understanding, but did get a fresh pizza. Again, it was great to just be together and talk while the kids were playing. I am planning on going back to the Blue Rabbit with Cooper when we visit during Spring Break (yay!)!

Thank you, Lib for the wonderful time. It was one of my very favorite trips. I loved being together with all my sisters and mom. It was fabulous and cozy....it will be something I will always treasure.

My boys are wearing housecoats that I got a super-duper deal at Children's Place outlet.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Cooper!

Well, my oldest turned six today. I can't hardly believe it. Cooper is six years old. It seems like a second ago I was in the delivery room at Lakeside Women's Hospital with my sweet little boy. I was reflecting back at my thoughts and emotions as I held Cooper those first few days. There were so many thoughts. I was so excited to be a mother, and so apprehensive at my own abilities...those thoughts, I have found, don't change. I thought my little one was so beautiful, he had so much hair and was a whopping 8.8 lbs.! Of all the things that I remember, I wanted to "meet" Cooper. That is how I have felt every time my babies have blessed my home. I wanted to see what his personality is, what he loves and dislikes. What his talents are, what he gets excited about. Since that cold, clear January day six years ago I have found that Cooper has been a blessing to me and everyone he meets. I have also learned that he is a sweet boy who loves the color yellow, he loves to sing and just loves music in general. He is able to pick up songs very quickly and memorize things quite easily. Cooper loves to draw and color. He enjoys "crafting". One of his favorite pastimes is playing "Phillip and Stephanie". He loves is doll, "Ella". She has been nearly inseperable from him since I found out I was pregnant with my Ella. Cooper is very compassionate. He thinks about how others feel. He absolutely loves is baby sister and is a very good brother to Greyson, who in turn loves him very much and looks up to him. He is a very active little guy. Something funny about Cooper, I have found, is that Cooper likes his rest. When it is bedtime, his head will hit the pillow and he will be out like a light. Coop is a natural born leader and is quite stubborn, as well. That character trait can serve him well, if he is stubborn for the right. I have also found that I have a little perfectionist on my hands. As a mother, I have seen myself reflected in my oldest many times. Cooper has been a blessing to me since the moment I found out I was pregnant with him. I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be a mother, the greatest calling. Happy birthday my sweet, Cooper!

We had a great day. Cooper started the day bright and early. I was groggily nursing Ella around 6:00 this morning when I hear "I'm 6!", "I'm 6 years old today!". At fist I thought Cooper yelled, "I'm sick", but then I quickly figured out what he said and it made both me and Phillip chuckle. Phillip got up with Cooper, who wasn't going to go back to sleep, after all, "he's 6"! Cooper was able to pry me out of bed a little after 7:00 (Ella's been keeping me up), and open presents. He was very excited about what he got and it was fun to watch him open his presents. He headed off to school shortly after the presents with the promise that I would come to school with cupcakes that afternoon. Well, I got a call a little after 1:00 telling me that Cooper that thrown-up (yikes). So, I rushed to school to go get him. Cooper had had a coughing fit during rest-time and had thrown-up. It is the school's policy that if the student throws up then they need to go home. So, Coop got out a little early...he loved that. I talked to the teacher and we are going to do cupcakes tomorrow. We headed to my mom's house to finish a craft I have been working on and Cooper was surprised by a call. My sweet sister called Cooper and sang "Happy Birthday" to him (with the help of her little boys) and he loved every second of it. He got the biggest smile and he smiled until his eyes twinkled. It was so cute. Later, Cooper got to pick out where he wanted to go out to dinner this evening. He chose New China. It's a buffet and he said that he didn't want to wait for his food, so that is why he chose there. Hmmm... Anyway, we ate there and then off to Wal-Mart to choose his cake and ice cream. He chose a white cake with yellow and white frosting. He was even able to choose the color the frosting for his name and he requested an orange balloon,as well. We then came back to our house and my parents and Whit and her family came over and there were more presents to open (yay) and cake and ice cream. Cooper had a lot of fun. He got a Fisher Price digital camera and enjoyed snapping pictures of everything from the dog to his cousin eating while everyone was there. Very cute. Thank you everyone who spoiled my little one...who I guess isn't very little anymore. Happy birthday, sweet Coop!Cooper is opening is Tinker Toys from Auntie Lib. Thank you, Auntie !!

The sibilings usually get a small gift to open. Greyson opened a couple of books and he was very excited and happy about them.

Cooper got a couple of Leapster games. He loves them!

Yay for Fisher Price!

Happy Birthday, Cooper!!

Weddings, Tupperware and Veggie Tales

Okay, okay so those things might not neccesarily go together, but that is what my family and I have been up to. Those things are also the reason that I haven't been posting much lately. Last week I spent a good portion of time doing something related to my sister-in-law, Emily's, wedding. Emily asked me if I would do the flowers for her wedding. With help from my mother, we did my other sister-in-law's flowers for her wedding. So, I suppose that Emily thought that I could do hers, as well. Emily's wedding flowers tended to be a bit more difficult for me to do. There were actually quite a bit less flowers, but it was the type of flowers that I had to work with that was the problem. Since Emily had a winter wedding, she chose blue flowers with crystals. It was something that neither myself, or my mom had worked with. We were able to muddle through, but the flowers ended up being exactly what Emily had wanted. *Whew*! I didn't take pictures of the flowers, I ment to, but never got around to it. When we get pictures of the wedding maybe I can figure out how to post them. On Thursday afternoon we headed down to the City to help decorate for Emily's reception. She had it at the Capitol building. It was free to rent (can you believe that?!!) and I recommend that EVERYONE that comes to Oklahoma should tour it. The Capitol building where they built the dome is gorgeous. I was breathtaken by the murals. Long story short, we finally started decorating around 7:00 that night. I tied many bows on the back of chair covers and Phillip put up a flocked Christmas tree, then we left for home. We had to be at the Oklahoma City Temple at 10:40 the next morning. Can I say early?! My parents were superstars and drove down to the City to watch my kids while Phillip and I were in the temple. The temple president performed the ceremony and then it was outside for pictures. It was so cold. Poor Emily was in a beautiful dress that my mother-in-law made (!), but it was short sleeved and she looked so cold. After the pictures my parents and my family went to lunch and then they took my boys while Phillip and I went back to the Capitol to help finish decorating. It was beautiful. Everything really came together. One of the highlights of the evening, for me, was seeing Cooper show how mature he can act. My nephew, Nick, was asked to sit at a front table to ask those who came to the reception to write down some advice, get a package with some Grandpa Cookies and get their pictures taken for their guest book entry. Cooper saw that Nick was sitting there and wanted to join him. We explained to Cooper what Nick was doing so, he wanted to help. Nick would sometimes wander off, as boys tend to do, but Cooper for the most part stayed sitting at the table. He took the job really seriously. When Phillip took Cooper to get some food across the room, Cooper saw some people come in and he was so worried that "the people wouldn't know what to do!". It was nice to see Cooper show a more mature side, it gives a mom hope. :)

Greyson, Aunt Emily and Cooper at the reception.

Greyson, Grandma with Cousin Ivy and Cooper (oh! note the corsage) at the reception.
Grey, Grandpa, Coop and Cousin Ivy.

The next day was Saturday and Phillip and I faced a perplexing problem. We wanted to get out of Dodge, but responsibility was calling. I have been, let's just say...avoiding...getting down the huge tupperwares and going through the boy's clothes. Putting laundry away is a daunting task when you still have Summer clothes (yikes!) still in the drawers. Enough was enough and so Phillip got the bins out of the attic. It is an ugly job, but we were already doing laundry, and if you ask me, there is never a good time to go through the tupperwares. So, I took the job head-on. Phillip and I didn't get the job done fully on Saturday, but we knew that Monday was a holiday, and we could finish it then. So, sure enough today came and we finished up the job, mostly, today. We still need to put the tupperwares up in the attic, but at least we can put this seasons clothes in the drawers.
The boys were climbing the walls this afternoon, so we decided to go and do something fun. We looked up on the internet some fun places to go and visit, we found some fun ones, but they were either closed due to the holiday, or just didn't stay open that late. So, we decided to go to "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything". It is a Veggie Tales movie. We don't go to the theatre that often, so it was quite a treat for my boys. It was a pretty cute movie, something that parents can stand to sit through. I was really impressed how clean it was. You just never know what you are gonna' get even with "G" movies these days. So, in a nutshell that is what the Humphrey clan has been up to. It has been busy, but fun. We have a really fun week coming up. Cooper's 6th birthday is this Thursday and Phillip's birthday is next Monday and my sister, Whitney, is Sunday. Birthday central!! Also, my mom, my sister, Whitney, and her kids and me, Grey and Ella are going to Alabama to visit my sister, Liberty, while her husband is away this Friday. So, it is going to be a fun, but very busy week getting ready for birthdays and our trip. I'll keep 'ya posted... :)

Thank you, Auntie Lib!

Look at that bottom!

I have been putting Ella in the cutest clothes since she was born and I am just so grateful. We have been able to dress Ella like a little fashion plate thanks almost entirely to one person...Auntie Lib! I bathed Ella this morning after a huge blowout (yikes!) and went to go get her dressed. I love putting on new clothes (who doesn't??) and this love doesn't end with me. I love dressing my kids in new clothes...I get the same satisfaction. Anyway, Ella is getting really close to her 3 mo. mark so I have started pulling out the 3 mo. outfits and she is mostly fitting them. Low and behold when I pulled out the clothes, I mostly can't remember the exact outfits that are in there, I was wonderfully surprised at this outfit waiting to be worn. I was so excited. I love this outfit. Little did my sweet sis know how excited I would be to see it (again!). Also, little did she know that purple and green would look the best on her. So, with lots of hugs and kisses and thank you, thank you all around...we wanted to say thank you, Auntie Lib!! The outfits are a symbol, to us, of your love and thoughtfulness! We love you!!