We had mashed potatoes for dinner and Cooper used them as hair gel! Logan and Cooper have had a great summer and now that I am back to school, they are off to the sitter.

Logan has learned to write his name and is in big boy underwear even through nap time. Although he still likes Lighting, his new favorite show is Toy Story or Stoy Tory as he says it.

Cooper is off the bottle and is learning a few words. He can say uh huh and uh uh, so at least he can answer yes and no questions. He is definitely a dare devil and thinks he can do anything Logan can do.

Thanks for stopping in!!

Dinner was AWESOME!!

bath time!

It's Summer!

That means I have a few moments to give updates! Here are some highlights...



- Logan turned 3! He loves to sing, talk, run, and ride his coolest, coolest truck. His favorite new thing is the waterfall pool. We even had to get goggles today as a reward for going potty 25 times! The little man is working on going potty like the big kids. Most recently, he got to ride the train home from his first overnight stay without Mommy and Daddy. He went to Maryville with Grandma and Grandpa Duryea, then returned home on the train.

-Cooper is almost 1! He loves to climb and isn't afraid of anything. He thinks he is a big boy and can do anything his brother can. We are getting ready for his first birthday party next weekend, where Elmo is the theme. Cooper loves to eat and is babbling all the time. He has 6 teeth and one new one popping up. His most recent milestone was taking his first three steps at the sitter's house, so we are eagerly awaiting seeing this at home!

-Jason and I are about to celebrate our 6th anniversary on Sunday. I have the best man in the world! He loves our kids and works so hard for us. We spent a night away in Branson a few weeks ago for our praise team retreat. I was totally pushed to the limit by climbing a 35 foot rock wall and then riding a zip line down. Jason was his daredevil self doing every high climbing, balancing act he could. He amazes me with his courage and strength.



Well, school is out and the little one's and I are staying busy. We have been swimming, to the indoor playground at the mall, to a Dinosaur Stomp, and HappyDonald. This weekend we have much more in store! Love to you all! Enjoy the photos!

did someone say OU?

MIZ ZOU!

Rock the hawk!

Cooper is 9 months old!

May the force be with you

Cooper' Idea of a great night!

Spending a lot of money for Cooper just to play underneath the toys...Priceless!

Happy New Year!

Our boys have kept us really busy this fall. We are finishing up a wonderful Christmas break together. We finally made a trip to Oklahoma for both Thanksgiving and then Christmas. We hadn't made the trip in almost a year because of Cooper and then a bout of the flu in September. It was great to catch up with everyone. Christmas was much more contained with the blizzard in Oklahoma. Don't laugh...there were really blizzard warnings. 60 mile per hour winds plus eight inches of snow really made us stay put for most of the trip.

Tulsa, OK Christmas Day

Holts Summit, MO December 27

We missed many of our friends and family due to the weather, but the boys really enjoyed spending Christmas morning with cousin Erica, Aunt Candy, and Uncle Eric. Anyway here are updates on each of us!

Logan then...

and now..
Logan is such a big boy. He can now open the refrigerator and can get string cheese for himself. With Cooper, he will sit and play or tell him everything is okay when he cries. He is a great big brother, yet doesn't quite understand what to do if Cooper is touching him. I heard him say, "No Cooper, you can't play with my light saber. Here play with your toy." He then handed him is baby Elmo to play with. Logan loves to read books and play Star Wars Clone Wars. Lightning McQueen is definitely his favorite toy. We are still working on potty training, which seems like it is taking forever, but I have been encouraged that he will not go to kindergarten in diapers. He got to go sledding for the first time and got to ride in a firetruck. He was fireman for Halloween. Logan not only repeats everything you say, but also answers the questions Jason and I ask each other. The best part is little spontaneous things like randomly touching you and saying "Pokey". Or when he asks, "Mommy are you okay?" He melts my heart!

Cooper is going to outgrow Logan this spring I think. He is scooting, almost crawling, and loves to roll around. He loves to jump and stand up if you hold his fingers. He is in 12 months clothes, and we have him in size four diapers along with his brother. This kid loves to eat, eat, eat. He grabbed a curly fry off of the table the other day and ate it before I could stop him. He also had his first pizza crust on New Year's Eve. I remember forcing Logan to try stuff, but it comes naturally to Cooper. He can even drink out of a sippy, which we now have to watch and make sure Logan doesn't leave his lying around. He babbles a little. So far buh buh is his most common sound. His laugh is hilarious. It sounds like a baby machine gun. He is growing up so quickly, and I am left stunned by the differences in my children. It won't be long though until they are running around together.

Jason and I have been spending a lot of time at the church, leading praise and worship most Sunday's. Basketball season is about to start again. It will be Jason's third season as a coach. It is crazy to think of, but by the end of the season, it will be spring. I love my new school, especially that it is closer. We have been blessed with excellent childcare so that we both can work. Looking back at the past decade and all that has happened in our lives, we can see God in each step of the journey. What an amazing life He has given us. I heard a great line in a movie yesterday, "You may not want to accept Jesus as your savior; He will change your whole life. But someday I hope you realize how much Jesus loves you." It is so true. The joy in my life has come from one source, God. Let God bless you this new year.

Football, Firetrucks, and Festival

School has begun, and I am loving my new school. We have had a crazy week with Senator Claire McCaskill holding her listening forum at school. Plus, it was our first full week. This weekend was all about free fun. The Jefferson City Jays kicked off their season last night with a win. Cooper, Logan, and I went tailgating and ran into many folks from church. Free hot dogs, chips, and soda made the stress of being out alone with the boys worth it. Then it was over to the football game. Thanks to Rick and Christy Smith, we all got to the game before kickoff. Daddy joined us, and Logan had a blast! The Jays won 44-20! We may be repeating this outing!

Today, we slept in, and then went to the Fire Station's Grand Opening. With sirens and lights going, Logan and I rode in the front of the firetruck around Holts Summit. It was awesome! Logan wasn't too sure in the beginning, but was sold as soon as we started moving. We then walked around the new facility. We are very blessed to have such a great community.

After nap time, we went to the capital lawn for the Christian Family Festival. We heard many great bands, but the best was saved for last. Mathew West closed the show with a great performance. I now have a few new favorites for the Ipod. Check out Stop the World if you can.

Cooper update: He had his two month check up. He weighed 12 lbs 5 oz, and was 23 1/4 inches long. Now wearing 3-6 month clothes that are almost too short, he is in the 75 percentile for height and weight. Cooper is smiling and cooing and is just too cute for words. This week, he slept for 8 hours in a row! Yippee! He hasn't repeated that yet, but it did make me feel really good.

Logan update: Logan is growing up so fast. He is getting so tall and now likes to take his stool around so he can reach things. He asked me to take him to the potty today. Kids just grow up too fast! Last weekend, we went putt putt golfing. Logan shot a 21 for the 18 hole course. His longest put was 5 inches, but he knocked it in everytime and shouted, "It's in the hole!" Mommy also did well, even though I carried Coop in the front carrier. Logan would just pick up my ball from where ever I hit it and drop it into the cup for me:) I didn't complain.

Well, enjoy this mild August! It has been beautiful. In fact, teachers in this school have been wearing coats, because it is too cold. I bet the kids up the road would love to partake in air conditioning. If only we could share... Love to all!

Still Growing!!

Cooper is becoming such a big boy! He is 12 pounds, 5 ounces and 23 1/5 inches. He is between the 50 and 75 percentile. Tomorrow the students come back to school. I really love my new school, but I miss my friends. Today I actually complained about being too cold. Why can't I just be satisfied? Logan is a great big brother, but has started to whine. If you have any good tips on nipping that in the bud, we are open!! So I hope you enjoy the video. It was a huge undertaking. Not the video itself, just getting it to post on the blog. Love to all!