Champ!

Love our Cooper's new puppy Champ! He's the sweetest little guy ever! We're having lots of fun getting into a new puppy routine. He's so much fun, I think he's good for Adam too, keeps him company during the day.

This past Saturday we had Christmas edition of Minute To Win It family game night. That was lots of fun. Tomorrow is Baylee's violin recital, she looks so grown up playing the violin and sounds pretty good to. Champ LOVES to sit and watch her play. Saturday is the Winter Festival here at Harmony. The kids are looking forward to playing in the snow. Saturday night we're taking Grandpa and Grandma out for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and may play some putt putt after dinner....just another relaxing weekend in our house!

Cooper and Champ sleeping together. They curl up together every night!

Champ laying on his back looking all cute

Harper and Champ sleeping on my bed while Cooper plays on the computer

Baylee had to pick someone to read a book about and do a report and presentation. Who does she choose? Barbara Bush of course. I mean who else would a normal 10 year old pick? Haha, LOVE my Baylee! Of course she did a great job, found out tons of stuff and got a 100 A+!!!

I didn't chew up your flip flops or chew on the Christmas tree.....I swear it wasn't me!

Welcome Home CHAMP!!!

This past Saturday started out pretty normal. Baylee was going to the Christmas parade with Holly, and Cooper had a football game at ESPN's Wide World of Sports out at Disney. We were checking Craig's List and found some boxer puppies for sale, Cooper has been begging for a puppy for his birthday and we decided to get him one. Adam called about them and they were going fast, so we decided to go pick one out, an early birthday present! Cooper was so excited and picked out the cutest little guy ever that he named Champ! These past few days we've been trying to get into the routine of having a puppy. Cooper's doing a great job taking care of him too. He's a smart little fellow, he's only had one accident and is pretty much house broken. Our only problem is that he wants to play all night long! He's doing okay in the crate when we're not here but at night he LOVES snuggling up next to Cooper, and Cooper has said for years that "I just want a dog to sleep next to me at night." Wish granted!

 Besides getting a new dog, Cooper and Adam had a big day on Saturday. Their Tiny Mite team was selected to play in an exhibition game for the Pop Warner Super Bowl at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. They had a great game, Coop scored an awesome touchdown and they tied. Which was nice since both teams of little boys were super excited to be there. After the game Disney had a dinner for the players, cheerleaders and families. The players and coaches were free but the families had to pay $45 EACH for dinner! Baylee stayed with Holly so for a mere $90 Harper and I were able to eat a nasty watery gross hamburger, a bag of chips and a small cup of water (or watered down juice if that's you're poison), the only good thing about the meal was all you can eat ice cream. Here's my meal....I could only eat one bite of the burger, it was very un Disney like! 

I guess the best part of the meal, the part we REALLY paid for, was getting to meet some characters. Harper was so excited to get to meet Belle! Seeing her little fact light up was priceless and worth more than the $45 we paid for dinner. She was so so happy! Even Cooper agreed to meet Belle, and she must of really liked him since she spent a few minutes just talking to him.

Cooper kept saying he wanted to be on Sports Center...he didn't make it to Sports Center but this was pretty close:

Baylee also has had a busy week. She's had two projects for school she's been working on. One was to decorate a stocking, the other was a biography report she had to do. She chose Barbara Bush.....why I have no clue, but she did do a great a job on it. And now I have a ton of useless knowledge about this great first lady floating around in my head.....

Cooper and Uncle Mo

Cooper, Grandpa and Dad....dad will be shaving his beard no matter what even if by some miracle Notre Dame does WIN on 1/7/13

Mity Mite team and cheerleaders 

Bubby's last game EVER as a Mity Mite!

My Big Girl Turned Five!

This past Thursday my Harper Peanut turned 5!...oh and it was also Thanksgiving! It's hard to believe that 5 short years ago Harper was born on Thanksgiving morning and only weighed 3 and 1/2 lbs.....now she's almost as big as Cooper! She had a great birthday and loved all her gifts, especially her "Marion Girl Doll" as she calls it....she means American Girl Doll. She's named her Lilly.....from How I Met Your Mother, she loves Lilly on that show. Harper is sweet and funny and we just love her to pieces. For her birthday she informed us that "Aunt Jackie" was going to make her strawberry cupcakes, and Jackie did make some awesome strawberry and pumpkin cupcakes.

We also went to Shane and Heidi's for Thanksgiving, it was chilly but lots of fun and lots of great food and company. Harper was happy to have everyone sing happy birthday to her.

What a super cute Harper Peanut:

little Peanut in the NICU five years ago....

With her new doll Lilly

Cupcakes:

Singing Happy Birthday to Harper

 Love my kids:

It's hard to get them to stay still for a picture

Harper just relaxing with Lilly

 Harper playing Connect 4 with uncle Shane

can't believe how grown up Baylee is getting:

Turkey Trot!

This morning Baylee and Cooper got to run in a 5K Turkey Trot! It was their first ever 5K, Baylee came in 5th overall and Cooper came in first! Even beating the adults! I'm so proud of the two of them! There wasn't too many serious runners there but Cooper still did great, his time was 29 minutes and Baylee's was 33. Poor bubby didn't look too good when he came across the finish line, he was pale and pasty! It was nice having the adult runners come over and tell him what a good job he did and offer him so running tips! Of course Adam was bursting with pride over his kids.....and then he was looking up running camps for them to do this summer!

So school is out for a week for Thanksgiving. This past Thursday Harper had her Thanksgiving Feast at school, I had a meeting I couldn't get out of and Adam had a Dr's appointment so Aunt Holly went with Harper. Harper said all the food was good except for the green beans, she said those were too nasty because they had onions in them. On Friday Cooper had his Thanksgiving play at school, I took the day off Friday so I could go to that. He was one of the narrators, and did a fabulous job! So proud of all my kids, they are doing so great in school this year!

Cooper's Johnny Appleseed school project

Cooper getting ready to narrate

Baylee and Cooper getting ready for their 5K

Baylee stretching a bit

Baylee gets her flexibility from her mom :)

Cooper trying to do what Baylee was doing, his legs don't bend that way

Look at that handsome little runner, getting ready to have a pre race banana

Harper came out to support her brother and sister

Harper has learned the Pledge of Allegiance

at school and does a really good job with it. It's nice that they say it every day before class!

Halloween, Wrestling and Bonfires....

I cannot believe it's already the 10th of November! In 12 more days my baby will be 5! So much has happened in the last 5 years it almost seems like a lifetime. We're staying busy with school, luckily work hasn't been too busy for me....which I'm taking full advantage of and taking some time off to recharge a bit.

The kids had a nice Halloween. The Ferralls came over to go trick or treating with us....well with Harper and Cooper. Baylee is too cool for us so she went with her friends. I stayed home and handed out candy, I gave it all away by 8! Luckily the kids got back about the time I ran out so they went through their candy and handed out what they didn't want. I made them come in at 9 but there were still lots of people still out in Harmony walking around!

Last weekend was Cooper's first wrestling tournament of the year. There wasn't really anyone in his weight class (?), level (?) so he wrestled up (?).....I don't really get the whole wrestling thing yet but he did good and came in 3rd place!

Last night we went to a bonfire! I'd forgotten how much fun they are, I also had forgotten that somewhere along the way I've gotten old....I remembered that this morning....ugh! Oh well, good times with family and friends are worth it.

We've got a busy 6 weeks coming up, Thanksgiving, Harper's Birthday, Cooper's birthday and Christmas. Hoping we can just find time to relax and enjoy each other!

Cooper asks every year to be something scary for Halloween, this year he got to!

Cooper, Harper, Levi, Garrett....just missing too cool Baylee who was with Bella and Gina

My bubby got straight A's so he and daddy got to celebrate with the Shorthorn Round Up and Ice Cream! So flippin proud of him!

"Warming Up" before the wrestling tournament 

Cooper standing on Coach Eddie

Poor Coach Eddie

What a great guy Coach Eddie is to spend his Saturday morning getting beat up by these little guys!

See that 24? That's Cooper's highest score yet!

Baylee as a pirate for Halloween

Love my Peanut!

Getting ready to go to the bonfire! Cannot believe how grown up and tall she's getting!

Look at my two models!

So pretty!

Levi at the bonfire, the last 5 seconds of audio pretty much sums it up!