Girlfriends...

I am blessed to have great girlfriends in my life. There are 5 of us that have been friends since high school. Actually one since kindergarten and one since middle school, but as a group we've been a tight circle since high school. We are all different and have chosen different paths, and live or have lived all over the county, but we always remain in touch and try to see each other as often as we can. This weekend 4 of us (my friend Shloe, along with her husband Roger, Christy and Kim) were able to get together at my place. We had a great time just visiting, playing Mexican Train Dominoes and the Wii, and of course eating a TON of food!
And while we were hanging out and the kids had taken a shower, they decided to spend a little time relaxing on the new hammock...

School Spirit!

Every Friday at school is Friday Flag Salute assembly and the kids get to wear their Trailblazer spirit wear. This year we got new shirt designs and colors so they were very excited to get dressed this morning!

my sleeping sweeties...

Cooper has had so much on his little mind this week, adjusting to a new class with new rules, new friends and being at school ALL day. The last couple nights he has woken up in the middle of the night to climb in bed with me. But last night he decided he wanted to be with his big sister. So this is how I found them, sound asleep at 6:30 this morning...

The funny thing is, it's not that different from how they looked six years ago when Cooper was just 3 days old, and Zoe was 2...

First Day of School

Wow...the first day of school is already here! The kids were so excited this morning; they were up early ready to eat breakfast, help pack their lunch, and get into their new school clothes.

Zoe, my beautiful 3rd grader...

Cooper, my handsome 1st Grader...
One of the reasons we bought our house 3 years ago was for this. I always wanted to be able to walk to school with my kids. And off we go...









Cooper's first day went very well! I got to go into the class with him and see him at his desk. He was so excited to finally have his own desk, instead of the round tables in kindergarten. He got to work on his first day packet right away. When it was time to say goodbye he looked a little nervous and I felt the tears welling up inside me. He gave me big hug and I told him I couldn't wait to see him after school. It was hard to leave my little guy . I just can't believe my baby is going to be in school all day now. But when I picked him up after his long day, he had a big smile on his face. He even received his first "happy note" with a new pencil for good behavior today! He said the day was long, but he liked it!
Zoe was a big girl today, going into class and starting out the day all by herself. Since I had to go in Cooper's class with him, I didn't even get to see her at her desk. But after leaving Cooper I headed over to check on her. This was what I saw...After school she came to find me and said she had the best day ever and loves Miss Upshur's class! I guess I couldn't have asked for a better day for them!

Last Day of Summer...

We had a nice last day of sumer today. Joe and Cooper got to have a "boys day" and headed out for some boating fun with our friends Matt and Mitchell. They had a lot of fun riding around, jumping in the lake, and learning how to ride a wakeboard. Wish I had some photos, but the men just don't seem to care about capturing the moment like I do! :) While the boys were off playing, Zoe and I decided to have some "girl fun". So we went and got pedicures. This was Zoe's first time getting a real pedicure and she got the royal treatment. Her feet were soaked, scrubbed, lotioned, and polished. She looked so cute in that big chair. Then we did a little shopping with Teri and Marley and went for some yummy Golden Spoon. It was a great afternoon together!

Once we all got home the kids decided to spend a little lazy time watching the tv. I rarely let them eat in the playroom, but they were so cute and tired, I just didn't care...

Now the first day of school outfits are out, school supplies bagged, and backpacks loaded. When I asked the kids if they were nervous about tomorrow, both of them said no. And when I asked what they were most excited about: Cooper said, "seeing my old friends and playing on the big playground." Zoe said, "classwork and homework." Go figure!

Meet The Teacher

This evening at school we had an ice cream social and the kids got to see the posted list of who their teacher would be, as well as their classmates. They were both excited and nervous!

Cooper was so happy to find out that he was going to be in Mrs. Hoadley's class. Since she had been Zoe's first grade teacher, he was convinced that he would get to have her too. I am so thrilled that we get to have her again! And Cooper even has a few of his kindergarten friends in his class too.
Zoe is excited to have Miss Upshur for 3rd grade, although she was a little disappointed that most of her friends are going to be in a different class. I think it is going to be a great year for Zoe, filled with lots of opportunities and fun. And she is definitely happy that she gets to be in class with her friend Maddyn again!
I think this ice cream social was a great way to get the kids looking forward to school again. They were happy to see their friends, and play on the playground and get familiar with things again. Only 3 more days...

A new hairdo!

Since summer is coming to an end and the bottom of Zoe's super blond hair has turned a lovely shade of green, she decided she wanted to get her haircut. She always wanted a bob, so that's what she got! Although it turned out a big shorter than both of us were prepared for, I think she looks adorable!

A Weekend Away!

We were so desperate for a getaway! Realizing that summer was coming to an end, we decided to head out of town for the weekend just to re-charge a bit. There is almost nothing we enjoy more than traveling, so off we went. Although I would have loved some cooler temperatures, we enjoyed a few great days in Palm Springs. We did so many fun things in a few short days. We were even able to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on the jumbo screen at the hotel.

The Westin has a great pool with a waterslide, which the kids (and I must admit, Joe & I too) spent many hours on.

Zoe competed in a kids limbo contest and came out the winner! So for her award, she got a gold medal and a free smoothie from the snack bar...way to go Zoe!

We also went to the Children's Discover Museum where the kids had a great time exploring, building, pretending, painting and learning.

(Joe, Zoe, I had a wood block tower building contest...its hard to say who won though!)

(Cooper had so much fun in this rope maze)

Zoe lost another tooth on this trip. There seems to be a pattern of her losing teeth while we're away from home. But that sneaky tooth fairy always seems to find her! :)
After we checked out of the hotel on Sunday we decided to go to Knott's Soak City. It was REALLY hot, and pretty crowded too, but we had SO much fun cooling off on all the water rides and playing in the wave pool.We weren't too excited to be heading back home after only a few short days. But while we were there, we did check out the timeshare options. We've been thinking about it for years, and finally decided to do a small investment. Although the timing isn't the best, we thought we were just gonna go for it. These vacations, whether small or big, are so important for our family. So we'll see how it all goes, but we are really excited about all the traveling opportunities ahead!

Good TV!

Tonight was the finale of So You Think You Can Dance! What a good show, we just can't get enough of those amazing dancers! Zoe loves to watch all the different routines, but tonight was even better because the Jonas Brothers were on to sing - one of her favorite bands. Cooper's favorite thing to do is to dance on my bed, especially while wearing a "daddy" shirt. We were torn with who should win...the final 4 were all incredible. But in the end, Joshua won...


After the kids went to bed, I watched Big Brother. What can I say, from talented to trash, I love my reality TV!

Houston, we have a problem...

Why is it always something?? And how am I supposed to live without a microwave?? While my friends Kim and Christy were here visiting, my microwave broke. No way to get the door open, so now what do we do? Joe tried everything he could, but no luck. And even though I secretly hoped this would lead to a double oven, it's just not going to happen! So I guess tomorrow I'll be taking it to a repair shop.We did get to have some fun though. Neither of them had ever played the Wii, so we had a fun time playing Mario Kart and having bowling and tennis matches. Thanks for coming down girls!