You a be-uty

Last night Tyson helped Josh say the prayer:

Tys: "We are thankful"
Josh: "Tankful"
Tys: "for the beauty"
Josh: "for da be-uty"
Tys: "of the Earth"
Josh: "Erf"

After the prayer Josh immediatly looks up at me and says "Mama, you a be-uty."

How cute is he? His Daddy raised him right. :)

Hershey, PA...our fifth honeymoon

This was after the freakiest roller coaster, it went up to 60 mph I think. I was barefoot, with my feet dangling, ahh! So cool!

What a hunk of chocolate I get to have with me everday. :)

Our hotel room (with the one green door-haha) was pretty big for not much money. Huzza!

These are flowers from Tyson from a few weeks ago, I just thought I would add them here because Tyson is so wonderful. Everyone should know how lucky I am.

So every year Tyson and I try to get away at least once by ourselves.

Summer '06: actual honeymoon

Summer '07: camping for our anniversary

Fall '07: Jamestown

Summer '09: Staunton, VA for our anniversary

Fall '10: Hershey, PA

Tyson has been to Hershey before, otherwise I would have never heard of it. So we have both been dying to go since we got married. We finally just decided go we must and it would be way more fun, at least in most ways, without the kids. This past weekend we went. I was terrified to leave the kids, afraid of everything that could go wrong, afraid they would be hopeless without me. I'm not very good about leaving my kids with other people. I kind of micro-manage everything the kids do and I like to do it my way. So it is hard for me to trust that other people can watch my kids just fine and it won't kill them to not have me around 24-7, in fact, they probably need it every once in awhile. So we left. Thank you Jordan (and Jake and Conner), Becca (and Trent, Ethnie and Leo), Cassie (and Seth and Tori), Kenni and Chris (and Zuri and Kelso), and Chanson (and your apple cider)!

We had a GREAT time, I LOVED it. I became the old Cami, the one that is fun and happy and crazy. We cracked jokes the whole time and it was so nice to be free for a little while. It was weird feeling "adrift" with no responsiblities, but nice for a few days. We went to a really neat resturaunt called the Hershey Pantry, I loved the food.

Hershey Park was SOOOO cool. I started crying after the first roller coaster because I realized that I extremely dislike roller coasters. Once my brother KJ only got me to go on a roller coaster with him by promising to get one of his friends to kiss me. Haha, but anyways...so Tyson got me to go on one more and then I was hooked. I became an adrenaline junky. I wanted to go on all the roller coasters from then on. Lucky for Tyson time and exhaustion didn't allow it. But everyone should go to Hershey at least once, it was seriously a blast. It was nice to get home to the kids, but after a few hours of their crankiness, I was ready to go away again. :) Thanks Hunny Bunches for taking me to the sweetest place on Earth!

Ode to Caleb

A few weeks ago, Caleb had his first birthday. We had the whole Virginia family over for cake: Aunt Cassie, Uncle Chanson, Aunt Bunky and Uncle "Rich", Cousin Zuri, and then of course Daddy, Mama, and Joshua. I doubt Caleb understood what was going on, but he loved eating cake and getting toys. Although Josh quickly confiscated the toys and still thouroughly believes they are his. Both Zuri and Caleb stuffed themselves with cake, Zuri looks a little like she is in a cake zone. :)

Oma and Pop Hardy sent Halloween cups and plates and cute Duplo toys that the boys love.

More cake...

The cake was supposed to be a puppy, but that didn't work out, hehe, so I just called it a cake monster and they liked that just fine. I just don't think I will do any profession cakeness anytime soon. :)

Mom and Dad Cooper sent a fun pop-up toy and little books. He still hasn't figured out how to pop them up, but Josh has and Caleb laughs and laughs whenever they pop up. Simple pleasures. :)

Tyson was awesome and took all the pictures, so sadly, I am in most of them and he is in none. :(

But he got this one of Cassie, Chanson and me, I think our faces are all pretty funny. But I am also slightly sleep deprived right now, so everything is a little weird in my head.

Probably telling Josh to leave Caleb alone. Hehe

And...Caleb is walking! (most of the time-ish)

So happy birthday little Caleb! You are still so cute and tiny and squeezable. I am so glad you are feeling better because we sure missed the happy Caleb. :) Hooray for being one and thanks for giving us this wonderful year!

Psalms

This morning I finally finished reading the book of Psalms in the Bible. I have never been very good at reading scripture at a quick pace, it takes me months to read each book. I have really enjoyed Psalms, I find each chapter fascinating. I find little verses that seem to apply to me, like having a quiver full of children, or how the Lord blesses grass to grow, which He has, our lawn is growing beautifully. The Lord is incredible. I love that every chapter acknowledges how great God is and how infinite His mercy is. The last verse in the last chapter is my very favorite, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."

It is far too often that I complain about life and how tired I am or how much I have to do. There is so little I recognize the Lord for, when really He is blessing me immeasurably each second. So I am writing this to praise the Lord. I know He has given me everything I have, and I am so thankful for Him. It is hard to write what exactly I am feeling, but I just had to say this to as many people as I could and this was the best way I could think of. I love the Lord, I know He is real and He loves each of us more than we can even believe. So, look around you, and praise the Lord.

My little junior missionary

I love how to little kids, faith is such a simple thing. Maybe it is because there is no faith, they know. On Saturday we went to the LDS temple in DC. It was beautiful and our wonderful sister Cassie (and her friends Tori and Seth) watched the boys for us. It was so nice of them, and so wonderful to be in the temple with Tyson.

When Tyson and I met back up with the kids, Josh had a sticker on that said "Junior Missionary." It was so cute and he was and is so proud of that sticker. I asked him where he got it and he said,

"Tommy, my friend, and I sit, watch Jesus, he talk to us, then we got a ticker." I was pretty confused until Emilie, Tommy's mom, explained they sat and listened to a recording in front of the statue of Christ in the Visitor's Center. Then the missionaries gave Josh and Tommy these stickers.

I cannot help but be amazed by children, especially my own son. It is so mind boggling when I know there is so little I teach Josh, but he still knows more than I feel I do. That statue was a statue of Christ, and Josh knew that, he completely believed that Christ was talking to him. Maybe his little heart is still so pure, he does remember Christ and it is just a matter of recognizing pictures and statues of Him. I love that he knows Christ is real and loves him. My faith is ever stregthened through my little boys.

10-10-2010, a day to celebrate

I LOVE birthdays. I have a really hard time getting excited about them when I am not around the person for some reason, but when they live near, I feel like it is my birthday. I'm not sure why.

But as of 42 minutes ago, it is Caleb's birthday. I can't believe it was an entire year ago that I was laying in a hospital bed, so thankful for epidurals and watching my mom almost freeze as she slept sitting up and Tyson laying on such an uncomfortable couchish thing. I kept thinking about Josh and wondering if he missed me, worried that he would feel lonely or hurt that I wasn't there and wondering who the little creature was when I brought the other kid home. I was so worried about having another c-section, just thinking thinking thinking, and not sleeping like I should have.

But that little guy came, and we were both fine, and of course Josh didn't even notice I was gone he was having so much fun with his Grandma and Aunts and of course, Kelso. And now my little boys are just getting bigger which means I am older which I don't feel that way. Maybe someday it will catch up, but I hope not. Caleb is not a baby anymore. He is a toddler, with lots of little teeth, and a happy grin, and he plays peek-a-boo and eats all kinds of foods, and loves to dance, mimic words and watch Josh do whatever he is doing at that given moment.

I love that song "Don't Blink," I think it is called. It is true, you blink and you might miss something huge like a first step or rolling over, or falling off the couch or the bed or drawing on the couch or on the bed. :) I love my kids.

I am so excited that in a few hours I will wake up and "wake up" Caleb, although I know he will already be awake, poopy and crying because Josh is throwing toys on him or screaming in his ear or something horrible. I am still so excited. I can't wait to celebrate the little guy all day. I am so grateful he made it here, that he came to my little family, that he shares his little grin with me everyday. I am so thankful for birthdays. It is a day that says, "I pick this day to celebrate all the days of this year that I got to spend with you and gotten to know you and I just want you to know, I'm glad you are here for this birthday."

Elephant Slippers

Caleb and Zuri

I'm a Burrito!

All Done

Caleb speaks, and with such a cute little voice too!

Just Thinkin about...swimming?

One of the first posts I put on the blog was about Josh putting his little people in his cup. The other day I discovered them in his yogurt. At first I got mad at him because what a waste of yogurt right? And then I just about died laughing when I looked at them and realized they must have been swimming or something. I just asked Josh and he said "no swimmin, they are thinkin about." I don't know what about, he won't tell me. :)

Discovering Rain can be fun

Josh used to be terrified of the rain, now he loves it. He discovered the wonder of walking around in it and soaking up the water and the wonder of rain. Funny part of this video is I am filming him and then I realize he has run out into the lawn, where Tyson has just seeded it and no one is suppose to walk on it. So that is why it stops short, but I just love watching him shuffle in the rain. I remember my old days when the rain was fun, I miss being a kid sometimes.

Random Photos and a funny video

Kenni and I discovered that if I kept going at the rate I am with children, this is what I would end up with: 7,5,3, and two 1 year olds. Well not really, I would probably just have a 9 year old to add to the mix. But we had all these kids over at our house yesterday and it was fun. I'm looking forward to the future...I think. :) I love Josh.

And of course Caleb.

And little Eleanore too. We have been unusually social lately, I think it has been really good for the boys, and for me. Eleanore is so cute, I hope she picks one of my boys. Hehe

I don't know what face this is, but it is great.

Tyson had extra receipt paper from calculators that they no longer use, so Josh and Caleb had great fun with unwinding them. Then Caleb was terrified of them, so Josh would chase him around with it, poor little Caleb. That is Jack in the background, just so you know. Like I'm saying, unusually social.

My Dad was so cute and sent presents for us. He got the boys these little finger puppets and they LOVE them. Josh is sporting the hat for Tyson/Chris and showing the finger puppets, so cute, thanks Dad!

Josh loves to sit just like Tyson, it is so funny. They are just like each other, except Josh has my emotional side. He cries all the time, Tyson doesn't do that.

And of course there is Uncle Chanson and his German vidoes that the kids love. Shnappi the crocodile is so cute, I don't blame them.

Buckets

What is it with kids and confined spaces?

I Feel Thankful...

Even though I felt grouchy all weekend, I woke up this morning feeling very grateful, so I wanted to share my list.

I'm thankful...
-that Josh hasn't thrown up this morning.
-that so far, Caleb hasn't gotten sick with this flu bug, that would break my heart.
-that I feel much better this morning.
-that by some miracle, Josh didn't get sick until about 3 o'clock on Friday, leaving only a few hours until Tyson came home for the whole weekend so I didn't have to deal with the throwing up by myself.
-that of all the weekends we got the plague, it was Conference weekend so we didn't have to go anywhere.
-that our couch cushions have covers that come off so I could wash them after being so pleasantly puked upon.
-that I'm not pregnant and therefore the throw up smell that still permiates our home doesn't make me too sick.
-that even though Josh has been the most sick, he has the most energy and is still super happy. Almost annoyingly so, but I am still thankful.
-that Tyson was so helpful and sweet and kept pretending that I was actually helping him in some way. He is such a gem of a man.
-that Heavenly Father blessed me with some insane sort of love so when I got puked all over, I didn't get mad or grossed out, I just wanted Josh to feel better.
-that I am a mom.
-that I have a body and almost all the time I am really healthy.
-that Heavenly Father listens to my prayers and loves me.